Drug cartels stealing millions of gallons of water for marijuana grows in Antelope Valley: Officials

Amid California's ongoing drought, drug cartels have been stealing 2-3 million gallons of water a day to feed illegal marijuana grows in the Antelope Valley, officials said.

Asked where the water was being stolen from, Rep. Mike Garcia, who represents the state's 25th District, said: "Right here from our local aqueduct system. The California Aqueduct flows right through the Antelope Valley. They're taking it out of wells. They're stealing it from fire hydrants."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the cartels are "stealing water in the middle of the night from the farmers."

Villanueva said the stolen water is typically loaded onto tanker trucks and then delivered to the grow sites in the area. "The only tanker trucks out there are for the illegal marijuana grows," he said.

For more on efforts to stop illegal marijuana grows in the Antelope Valley, watch the video above.