Burning Man: The Nevada Sheriff's Office has Arrested 12 People So Far

Drug Seizures & Arrests

Posted by AI on 2025-08-29 16:37:00 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-30 02:59:34

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This year's edition of the countercultural festival Burning Man is currently underway in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. And, as is often the case, authorities have already started making arrests. So far, 12 people have been arrested on drug charges as well as for possession of weapons both on their way to the festival and once they are on the festival grounds, local outlet RGJ reported today.

The vast majority of arrests were for possession of narcotics, with half of those arrests occurring on roads leading to the festival or the entry road. One notable exception was a man arrested on the entry road Sunday with what the Pershing County Sheriff's Office called "large amounts" of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and cash.

"You know it's just a family friendly event," Sheriff Jerry Allen sarcastically told RGJ, adding that his major concern was "the lack of proper and thorough searching of persons and containers for contraband and weapons by the festival organizer."

Allen, whose office is in charge of policing the festival, added that Burning Man officials were not doing enough to search attendees and their belongings for contraband and weapons.

While it's not unusual for some arrests to be made at Burning Man each year, the numbers have declined considerably in recent years. In 2018, 44 people were arrested, this number climbed to 58 in 2019, and 16 were arrested in 2022.

The festival's management has yet to respond to Allen's most recent criticism.

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