Agave plants becoming popular target for thieves

The blue agave plants weigh 100 pounds or more and are often sold to distilleries. Tena Ezzeddine reports.

[@julesherez]

You can’t use the leaves to make any type of alcoholic spirit, only the heart is used to do so.They might be using them to make food, and that’s truly unfortunate and sad that the plants are being destroyed over greed.

[@darwinblinks]

Right. Everyone thinks of the loss to the homeowner and the money of course, but not the plant's life itself.

[@WhiteWolfos]

Yeah but you need the heart of it, not the leaves to make that.Something's amiss.

[@meep2253]

When the plant flowers it dies after leaving pups so unless you use the leaves for cooking they go to waste. You can eat the flower buds as well

[@yeastinfection2222]

The agave leaves/fronds are used to make Birria. They line the fire pit and help steam the goat meat.

[@vivavasquez]

yummy sense when has trimming been been bad for white people ?

[@hildaqueenb9067]

I live in a semi rural area. We have agaves. People take the leaves for barbacoa which is a goat meat dish cooked in a ground oven. The leaves are used to line up the oven and cover the meat so it steams cook in it’s own juice. Yummm!😊 🤤🤗😋

[@HungNguyen91622]

They says to make tequila too

[@ezekiel3934]

@@HungNguyen91622 they are stupid, go see for your self hoe they trim the agave plant 🪴 vs digging out the hole plant that we call la pińa, after trimming you cut the hole plant 🪴 out there for looking like a pine apple. Go see how tequila is made on muchines vise

[@pelon7109]

@@HungNguyen91622 the big ball is what makes tequila not the leaves

[@jgon661]

Excuse my ignorance but you don’t make tequila from the leafs. Also they use the leafs to cook instead. I would be more worried about the homeless living under the freeway pass instead.

[@albertomartinez3469]

They can't make drinks with the leaf of this plant 😕. LoL We use the leaf to line our underground BBq pits. This reporter should do more research. LoL

[@612osiris]

@@albertomartinez3469 She got it right at some point by pointing out that tequila comes from the pina but then goes to show that they stole the leaves and the pina is still intact. Very confusing for sure. Not really how realistic is this "black market" to make tequila from scratch.

[@estherdmartinez1346]

No! No! But the Agave plants!! This issues MUST be covered, who would fight for them then?! 🤣 Next week "garden hoses disappearances on the raising" Am being sarcastic of course, if anything what's really concerning here is how bold thieves are becoming this days knowing there might be cameras they are desperate to steal anything even entering the homes. I saw a video of a lady checking ALL the doors and windows of a house she couldn't get in she stole the plants by one of the windows.

[@KsstheStrs]

In Mexico the agave plants are used to make pulque. It's fermented sap from the agave piña, or heart. It tastes horrible and gets you drunk. Lol. There are extra steps after that to turn it into tequila. It's distilled and idk what else. They also use the leaves to make barbacoa in a pit.

[@cynthiacollett6233]

Seriously…what isn’t a target for thieves today??? Nothing is off limits, because they get away with it or don’t pay any consequences for it. The world is going crazy….

[@JC-nl3nh]

white men stopped lynching coloreds, this is the outcome...

[@MrTaco1818]

Great coverage guys….. now you’re bringing more attention and more thieves into the mix.

[@melviasheppard8466]

One more reason not to live in Los Angeles county. They'll steal the plants even if it isn't Maryjane 🤣.

[@JessicaZane4realz]

Agave plants are so cool looking when they flower.

[@klausrostock4163]

Really ? Why cool ? That’s when they die

[@insectwildlife37]

@@klausrostock4163 cus it’s beautiful

[@daleandrews3552]

Our neighbor in south Louisiana had a HUGE old Agave Americana (large leathery grey/blue leaves) that put up a flower stalk. It lasted a few weeks before finally drying out and falling over. It's the mother plant's last "hurrah" or "swan song" before dying. But as a legacy, the mother will generally leave a few baby offsets or "pups" which are identical and scattered around the base. 🌱

[@losbones]

one persons agave is another persons catalytic converter

[@America1st69]

Especially for Mexicans

[@barbram8001]

LOL!

[@sarahbaartmansrevenge]

😂

[@Joser167]

@@America1st69 white guy stole my neighbor's catalytic converter. I guess that doesn't apply, right?

[@lchherrarte490]

Oh brother !!!!

[@madlyn792]

Unbelievable, now they're stealing plants!!!

[@finishfirst4580]

People will steal anything not surprising

[@poohbuttlilboy4316]

They are worth a lot of money

[@rversocal8889]

@@poohbuttlilboy4316 how much?

[@NoOneHere2Day]

@@poohbuttlilboy4316 No they're not. Blue agaves are easy AF to grow and they're all over southern CA. I have 5 and I always give the pulps away for free because they have so many at a time.

[@Five-OSomeWhere]

There are a lot of them on hiking trails. No body wanted them.

[@bazan0448]

And you do understand that spirits can only be produced with the piña, right? In other words you need the core of the plant, not the branches and only from certain agaves. Of course it would have to be properly cut, cooked and fermented previously. 🥃

[@tarzan343]

The leaves are used for ground bbq

[@tarzan343]

aka Birria

[@fasthandsz]

Chop off their hands, hard working people can’t have anything nice anymore

[@micknightmare3]

I THINK THE JUICE WENT TO YOUR HEAD. ITS A JUST A LEAF. STOP ACTING LIKE YOUVE NEVER PICKED FLOWERS.

[@nordicmercedessr6613]

“Not even plants are safe 😮.”

[@darwinblinks]

Why not just say "Everything" becoming popular target for thieves.

[@MrVolcomclassic]

What a age we live in

[@deathkitten7635]

What an ag(av)e we live.

[@drplando14]

I once commented that they will steal anything that is not bolted down…I was wrong

[@pmh7917]

Hello police? Yes, they stole my Amazon packages, my catalytic convertor & my Agave plants come quick!

[@SK-lt1so]

No one has touched my beets.

[@asamusicdude]

But I don't think they make it out of the leaves the core is used and fermented not the leaves. Prob for a BBQ

[@sarahbaartmansrevenge]

a BBQ ? why risk going out at night to do that for a bbq ?

[@asamusicdude]

@@sarahbaartmansrevenge lo because Mexicans that's why. Being one i should know. Paisas are crazy man

[@Charleythegod]

The heart is used to make tequila or mezcal but if they leave it behind, they’re using the “penca” as a seasoning or home remedy. Not to get trashed

[@jesuspina301]

That's not even blue agave!

[@WelcomeToCostcoILoveYou]

THIS IS WHY WE USED TO HAVE FENCING IN FRONT OF OUR YARDS I WANNA BRING IT BACK 😂❤

[@firebrand420]

This is why civilians need guns! Because these thieves know that all you anti-gun people are too scaredy-cat to do anything to protect yourselves and your property. You are sitting back and allowing yourself to be helpless against this. You voted out guns, police departments, you opened my conservative wallet to assuage your liberal guilt, you invited the crime when you threw out the law enforcement. We need citizens to help the cops out, not cop out and surrender.

[@WelcomeToCostcoILoveYou]

@@firebrand420 whoa sir we’re gonna have to ask you to calm down. I’m not ending someone’s life over a plant. No matter how expensive haha wtf

[@firebrand420]

@@WelcomeToCostcoILoveYou I didn't say I was going to K!LL over a plant. There are many places on the human body that can withstand a wound.

[@WelcomeToCostcoILoveYou]

@@firebrand420 I hope you get help

[@1980lizbethcamacho]

And here I feel guilty for pinching people's plants when I pass outside their home

[@qwenqwen1476]

Pinching might be where it begins 😬

[@sarahbaartmansrevenge]

but why the leaves? you can’t even propagate from leaf, can you? and you don’t make tequila or mezcal from the leaf … weird

[@raremoney6278]

THEY USE THAT FOR THE BARBACOA

[@klausrostock4163]

So much ignorance in this report and comments , tequila is made ONLY from tequilera agave (different breed ) and from the pine inside, it’s a huge and lengthy process the blue agave leaves are used to make barbacoa or birria (a wood fire pit covered with these )

[@mikeprice4103]

Wonder what race of thieves are no stealing agave.

[@mborges2133]

Nothing is safe...not even our ass cheeks

[@supremerider86]

Damn, it’s for the Barbacoa!!!lol

[@jamesarmani4735]

The species “Agave Tequila” are the only agave’s that don’t make an extremely bitter tasting tequila. The ones shown in this video are “Agave Americana”. They aren’t called blue agaves…

[@isabellavalencia8026]

It is in fact blue agave and that is the only one for delicious tequila

[@24james]

Of course they are. If the criminals are caught, Gascon just let’s them go free on misdemeanors. Yay DemocRATS- you win🥳🖕🏽

[@something21893]

Politics is dumb

[@Joser167]

Imagine serving six month on jail for stealing agave leaves? Gotta one stupid criminal

[@angelfigueroa310]

Not from the leaves , but from the core

[@izraelmirelez2168]

Just go to the liquor store !

[@supportmytroups7]

Thanks for putting this idea in more thieves head news!

[@MA-mh1vs]

A fake idea at that because the leaves are not used to make alcohol, the core is so they are not selling leaves to distilleries at all. The idea in the post is that someone was pit roasting a goat and those leaves are used for that. Leave it to the news to give false information that leads to people getting their plants butchered for no reason at all rather than say they were likely stolen to cook an ethnic meal🤦

[@jasoncaine2600]

🤦🏼

[@helenhebert7127]

They are stealing the leaves, not the piña that is used for tequila. My Mexican Bf says it’s Guatemalans who use the leaves for a dish on holidays. I caught guys hacking up my blue agave today.

[@backfrumthedeadking3062]

the agave bandit.......

[@alejandroescobar8886]

the leaves are not used for tequila or mezcal that’s the pina itself they must be taking them for another reason

[@siksixchevy1636]

“I tinka da mexican use this to makea da drink” 🤣🤣🤣

[@ghengiskhan69]

If it's not one thing it's another

[@Theironbodysensei]

Anne was hilarious 😂 😃.

[@jimnguyen8090]

idk if all the ones around my place are the same plants but sometimes they have this MASSIVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE tree growing right out of the middle of the plant. It's so pretty the shape and everything is so pretty. It just grows a damn tree in like a few weeks. I think one of the ones in my neighborhood hit like 22 feet. A tree. A straight up damn tree growing within weeks it seems like. I dont even get it. The bottom of the tree is like 6-7 inches THICK. lol probably bigger. It's crazy.

[@alexx_valee5644]

From my knowledge that is no blue agave, that is “maguey”. You can’t make tequila out of Maguey but you can get a lot pulque from the core of the “pineapple”, not from the leaves; besides some people use Maguey leaves them to make Birria artesanal by burring the birria and covering it with this leaves.

[@Charleythegod]

I’ve seen the agaves being used like oversized tamales for the flavor it leaves on the meat

[@kaylaelizabeth1640]

Those don't look like agave. Those look more like sávila/Aloe Vera. Plus... No other country can produce tequila because México owns the copyright.

[@wil-fri]

is called "denominación de origen", basically the place and the product are related. A good example would be the Champagne

[@yenxion6516]

I’ll just spray it with pesticides, good luck thieves. 😂

[@stevepowers9568]

It’s the heart that makes liqueurs

[@carlospiedra308]

Cutting off the leaves makes it grow bigger.

[@GoBrand0n]

These Amigos are getting out of Control

[@LizArmijo-x9k]

This is messed up, people have no respect.

[@d1gee3]

Someone took the leafs to make barbacoa, they could’ve took whole plant but just need leafs . And no that’s not the one to make tequila

[@dinora3349]

But that is not the blue agave to make tequila

[@magalygallegos4951]

He was just going to make some birria.

[@skyloveup]

Yes Anna😄

[@mrfortion408]

Maybe they use the leaf to wrap around meat and they wrap it around the meat.

[@davidg3113]

Unbelievable what's next wow

[@berylgreen1973]

Mrs. Snow grows agave? Who knew!

[@bigsmalls8354]

Come get mine! But u hve to uproot it! I’m in Beverly Hills

[@melissaruiz3768]

Where at

[@hugoq4335]

Just the leaves will do 😉

[@sirenelectric143]

Lmao exactly what I was thinking 😂 I have a bunch last homeowners planted and I want them out so I can plant new drought resistant plants and flowers that are native to this area

[@e.a.corral4713]

Nothing is sacred?

[@brandonhong4805]

They used to make barbacpa

[@leslierodriguez9914]

These reporters dont know what theyre talking about lol and didnt do full research on how it's actually made

[@newvilla8115]

Birria anyone

[@juliorecendiz4639]

Ana what? I’m over there rn to take all that agave

[@happydays0220]

Planting blue 🔵 agave for tequila 🎉

[@user-vb9kd3lg1s]

LMFAOOO she just straight up blamed Mexicans

[@melissaruiz3768]

Where she live 👀👀👀👀

[@TheJuiceMagnet]

LOL, soooooooo much misinfo here. Firstly, as others have mentioned, the core is the only part used for distillate production. Secondlly, the huge plants oictured are Agave Americana, and are not used for tequila production. That would be Agave tequilana 'Blue Weber' which is virtually non-existent in the botanical and landscaping trades.

[@cyanginpedro]

Anna Gao 😭

[@themfoosdidit]

can’t have nun in LA😂

[@StephenSternGoth]

I don't drink but man I got to try this tequila

[@davediamond7228]

you can also make the blue agave syrup / sweetener ... perfect for diabetics

[@StephenSternGoth]

@@davediamond7228 I got some for like coffee or toast try on peanut butter and jelly too

[@thehateugave9699]

This has been goin on

[@five1five06]

Drugs

[@vivavasquez]

home made ! cant get any better then that

[@michaelcharlesthearchangel]

Ridiculouso but oh so deliciouso.

[@ilive4anime.]

It's birria season ... they only hacked off the leaves and not the heart of it....sooo who thinks they'll actually make tequila from it -_-

[@peter8488]

You can't have anything good anymore.

[@1188clean]

Hope they come pull out the ones infront of my house. They are a nuisance

[@crackin2000]

That's great . They could grow them all over.

[@Daddyme92]

love seing my Latin brothers and sisters doing good

[@omargarcia2046]

They using the leafs to make food mexican barbacoa, is a culture thing from mexico 🇲🇽

[@Sergio_wolfgang88]

Funny chinita 😁

[@jorgerivers714]

Obviously they don’t have a clue how tequila is made!

[@javairflorez7889]

Making fuzz for nothing

[@hammer4772]

Now criminals know what to steal now that its harder to steal catalytic converters

[@fernandgamboa2848]

That's not blue agave 😂

[@slowedversion6393]

Yeah they use it to cook

[@profitstags9842]

black marker tequila the new drug ?

[@anthonyrivas784]

And if you want more facts!!! You can only get tequila from jalisco, Mexico 🇲🇽

[@soupbums]

TEQUILA!!!!!! Drinky Drinky

[@loghad3497]

Bruh I have 4,000 plants my pops gave me . There 2 years old

[@loghad3497]

@@dino7209 nah where it’s at it’s in a calm empty little ranch . There so much my uncle started a little trend and been doing it for 5 years . Thank you tho appriciate it 🙏

[@JT-nu1oi]

U just trimed mine and threw them in trash !!!

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

At least you didn't throw them into the compost p/u bin. Those fibres block up the compost grinder, along with palm fronds!!! Greetings from Canada.

[@Merkoner3666]

Lol they don’t use the leaf haha

[@matthewbeard1831]

Tequila...lol... no.. they are using it to cook with it... you need the bottom of the plant, to make Tequila... or maybe they are gana make clones of it

[@MocoritosinMex]

Tequila amigo

[@charlescummings5332]

Where is the police doing there rounds everwhere

[@EnduringCrow]

Scrounger behavior. Society on the fritz.

[@yuliazni3389]

10 years take care the plant , get targeting by thief

[@archangel_daniel]

C💵sh crop

[@donniebunkerboi9975]

That's Democraps state for you

[@ttinnovations3310]

sad

[@mezamedia8210]

🤣