Did you notice all the names were not English they use illegal emigrants to man there houses. They would stick out like a sore thumb in any of the states you mentioned more than south Florida. Plus property is cheap and most of the residents are old as shit. before they had all these special tasks forces and federal agents there it was easy to pull off in Florida. They steal electricity and grow strains that can handle high heat. They have a $200 a month electric bill running 30,000.................. Glad I made it out alive ! Feel bad for the people that have to stay behind........
The landscape in the Florida market is a little more complicated than that, but you made some correct assertions. The emergence of Immigrants running Grows didn't show it's head until 2007. Since 1998 I had heard of Cubans blowing up every square foot in numerous 10,000 plus ft2 home in Miami. The Cuban's started the implementation of immigrants in their grows,and it is a stroke of criminal genius. The immigrants speak little or no English. They are offered a place to stay and a path to citizenship (probably a lie?) after they complete their contract. They don't know anyone in the organization above them. This compartmentalizes the risk of exposure to those higher up in the conspiracy. If they get busted they only know the first name of their handler, who would come by about once a week. After they finish their contract they are also given a chance to buy the property for cheap. The Cubans really blew it out and caused the heat. Miami at first, then they spread east and then north to communities that were largely ignorant of what to look for. Until that period one almost had to try to get busted. The Cultivation of Marijuana was simply off the LEO's radar. They were concerned with Meth. After a 10 year campaign, methamphetamine production and Busts slowed. Then in 2008, coinciding with the election, the DEA started to form task forces with the Local LEO's. These Task forces I believe employed unmanned drones, wire taps, and gps installation on suspects' vehicles, in addition to the Holy Grail of Narc cops:informants.
There a an abundance of elderly, but I feel they are more likely to be the nosy neighbors unless they are swooned properly when one first takes possesion of a residence. I had a lot of friends get burned down there.
It is very possible that this is the culmination of what was initiated in 2008.
