REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
April 21, 2026
FROM
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
SUBJECT
Title
Letter of Agreement with the United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, for Participation in the 2026 Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Letter of Agreement (Federal Agreement No. 2026-95), and related assurances and certifications, with the United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, in the amount of $465,000, for the period of October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, for participation in the 2026 Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program.
2. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post adjustments to the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator’s 2025-26 budget, as detailed in the Financial Impact section (Four votes required).
(Presenter: Carolina Mendoza, Chief Deputy Director, 387-0640)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator (Department) has received funding from the United States Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (Program) since 1999. Appropriation and revenue for this award are not included in the Department’s 2025-26 budget. No matching funds are required.
The Department requests the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post the following adjustments to the 2025-26 budget:
|
Fund Center |
Commitment Item |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
4438001000 |
51001035 |
Overtime |
Increase |
$361,650 |
|
4438001000 |
52002135 |
Special Department Expense |
Increase |
$88,350 |
|
4438001000 |
52942941 |
Conference/Training/Seminar Fee |
Increase |
$15,000 |
|
4438001000 |
40509094 |
Federal - Grants |
Increase |
$465,000 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The U.S. DOJ, DEA, provides funding for the Program each year to defray the County’s costs relating to the eradication and suppression of illicit marijuana, including gathering and reporting intelligence data related to the illicit cultivation, possession and distribution of cannabis; investigating and reporting of instances involving the trafficking of controlled substances; and making arrests and referring cases for prosecution.
On February 25, 2026, the Department received Letter of Agreement (Federal Agreement No. 2026-95) (LOA) from the DEA providing notification of available funding in the amount of $465,000 to reimburse expenses related to the Department’s participation in the Program. The LOA is being submitted for Board of Supervisors approval at the first available meeting date after completion of the fiscal and legal review process. The proposed LOA would provide funding to be used for overtime, training, aviation fuel, and supplies to support the Department’s participation in the Program.
The U.S. DOJ requires the County to send the signed LOA to the DEA for execution. The LOA is for the period of October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The Department can submit claims for reimbursement retroactively to October 1, 2025. There have been no expenditures made against the agreement to date.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Grace B. Parsons, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 25, 2026; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Charlene Huang, Auditor-Controller Manager, 382-7022) on March 27, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on April 1, 2026.