GERBERVILLE, Calif. (AP) Authorities have seized a stockpile of 111 firearms, at least 20 of them stolen, from a 55-acre Humboldt County property where they also found 117 pounds of dried marijuana, ammunition, body armor and $12,000 in cash, the sheriffs department announced Wednesday.
Deputies located the bulk of the weapons Tuesday stashed in a brush-covered cave, sheriffs Lt. Steve Knight said. Among the weapons recovered were a World War II-era automatic machine gun with a full belt of ammunition, semi-automatic handguns and Soviet semi-automatic rifles.
Investigators think the weapons and the drugs were destined for the black market, Knight said.
Deputies obtained a warrant to search the property after they arrested a man who lived there, Ryan Floyd, on a probation violation from earlier gun and marijuana charges. Floyd had been wanted in connection with a stolen truck that had been abandoned by its driver Feb. 2 when a deputy tried to pull it over.
An initial search turned up a handgun, 45 pounds of marijuana and enough empty gun cases that investigators decided to go back for a more thorough search, which led them to the cave stash. They also recovered jewelry, tractors and other items that Humboldt residents have reported as stolen.
