Massive pot bust in the foothills above Fresno

[The Gooch]

wow

 

[The Gooch]

UKIAH, Calif. -- Law enforcement officials said Friday they struck a major blow against illegal marijuana cultivation on public lands in the heart of Northern California pot country.​

The two-week operation to purge the Mendocino National Forest of illicit pot gardens uprooted 460,000 pot plants and led to more than 100 arrests, U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag said.​

About 1,500 pounds of processed marijuana, 27 guns and 11 vehicles were also seized.​

The 900,000-acre forest – larger than Rhode Island – spans six counties in a region of mountains and forests known as the Emerald Triangle for its high concentration of pot farms. Agents raided more than 50 gardens teeming with trash, irrigation pipes and chemicals that damage forestland and waterways, authorities said.​

"The Mendocino National Forest is under attack by drug traffickers," Haag said.​

The operation was part of an annual summer effort to eradicate marijuana from public lands across the state. Six sheriff's departments, the state anti-narcotics bureau and at least a half-dozen federal agencies took part in the effort in the forest.​

Spearheading the raids was Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman, who in his years on the job has had to balance county medical marijuana ordinances with state law and the complete federal ban on the drug. Allman said none of the gardens busted showed any sign of being used to grow medical marijuana.​

Each summer for the past several years, authorities report seizing millions of pot plants from local, state and national parks, forests and other wilderness areas. Public lands are often favored by clandestine growers for their remote locations and rugged terrain.​

In previous years, officials have blamed Mexican drug cartels for some of the state's largest growing operations. Haag declined Friday to comment on where those arrested in the current operation were from but said 25 are already facing federal charges.The decision to focus on Mendocino National Forest this year stemmed from citizen complaints a year ago about an increasing number of confrontations with armed guards protecting pot grows, Allman said.​

Forest Service officials and county leaders have also long complained about the environmental consequences of illegal marijuana farms on forest ecology.​

California National Guard troops, Forest Service workers and volunteers have removed 46,000 pounds of trash, 120 propane tanks, 116,000 feet of pipe, 13 manmade dams, 57 pounds of pesticide and tons of fertilizer from raided grow sites in the forest, Haag said.​

 

[The Gooch]

UKIAH, Calif. -- An estimated $800 million worth of marijuana has been seized following a massive raid on illegal grows on public lands deep in Northern California's pot country, authorities said Tuesday.​

The three-week effort, known as Operation Full Court Press, to purge the Mendocino National Forest of illegal gardens, seized more than 632,000 marijuana plants. The operation also led to 132 people being arrested as 118 were booked on federal and state charges and 14 were detained on immigration violations.​

Several Mexican-based drug trafficking organizations were behind the illegal grows, Department of Justice spokeswoman Michelle Gregory said.​

In previous years, officials have blamed Mexican drug cartels for some of the state's largest growing operations, but Gregory stopped short of making that claim.​

"We've been looking at all of these groups for several years," Gregory said. "We're continuously trying to figure out who these guys are and their ties."​

The nearly $800 million in marijuana plants seized is a conservative estimate, said John Heil, a regional spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. The amount is based on a street value of marijuana being worth about $2,500 per pound, Heil said.​

Authorities have said a focus on the Mendocino National Forest this year stemmed from citizen complaints a year ago about an increasing number of confrontations with armed guards protecting pot grows.​

The 1,400-square-mile forest covers six counties in a region of mountains and forests known as the Emerald Triangle due to its high concentration of pot farms.​

Officials said that the latest raids also seized nearly 2,000 pounds of processed marijuana, 38 guns and 20 vehicles. Agents also removed trash and chemicals as well as about 40 miles of irrigation line that damage forestland and waterways.​

 

[ttystikk]

Tystick, while I am not privy to the grow practices of these guys how do" you" know they are spilling nutes etc all over the place ...just because they are large doesn't make them careless by fault. I have been large and never have spilled any nutes etc and left the area better than when I found it.
Now the legal end ; it is still considered a schedule one drug so all bets are off until that changes. I am totallylegal within state guidelines but I still camo my grows, no need to worry if ya can't see em.

If you're on public land without permission, anything you do more than taking pictures and leaving footprints is environmental damage. Another point; even if you are on private land and doing the right thing, the cartel run ops in the hills are making all large outdoor ops look bad- and therefore you might consider not defending them so much. Further along in this very thread are accounts of people being run off by armed guards on public forest land, and massive damage from irrigation lines, pesticides and fertilizers.

A lot of the busts are random, especially in our areas out here. My good buddy is a bail bondsman and he claims that every little grow they get usually had some other factors playing at hand primarily domestic disputes (so keep the wifey happy :)) . It is interesting though as the million dollar question is always: How much can I do without problems? .

This is Gospel Truth right here- the cops don't need to go digging through records with questionable constitutional authority; they can just wait for the stupid to get drunk and DUI- with a few pounds in the trunk- or in a fight with their girlfriend- in the house where their grow op is- etc.

 

[kolah]

looks like aerial surveilance is in full effect.

 

[sanvanalona]

looks like aerial surveilance is in full effect.

Not your usual surveillance this year Kolah. Everything is coming from satellite, and then when further evidence is needed for a warrant a flyby will occur. But, unlike the past the flyby's are no longer necessary nor efficient enough therefore satellites rule the day. In other words "they" know EXACTLY what you are up to out here.

 

[The Gooch]

Don't forget about the drones my good men! You don't think they would only use those on enemy countries do you? I heard the other day that in a year their will be something like 10'000 drones flown over our own citizens! It kinda feels like China in this bitch right! My new design; hat with the middle finger on the top :)

 

[Badmf]

Tystick I have seen some extremely biased documentaries that if believed would have one think "all"? medical mj" is from the cartels tearing up our national forests. when you are aware this is make belive , They also show weapons every time, but if you were out there you do need protection from wild animals, bears , rattlers etc. Now as far as the arned guard cartel stuff these are the few as most are citizens of the USA. I guess if you breathe wrong its environmental damage, I'm all for protecting the land and leave it as it was found or better. So everyone who has to grow guerilla is your enemy?

 

[Intense]

I guess if you breathe wrong its environmental damage, I'm all for protecting the land and leave it as it was found or better. So everyone who has to grow guerilla is your enemy?

There's regular guerrilla growing and then there's guerrilla growing thousands of plants. The scale of damage goes way up when the scale of growing becomes so huge.

 

[sanvanalona]

I don't want to delve too much into this, but I saw the newspaper print out the same photo of a "cartel" grow op in two different years, 07 and 09, made me wonder how much bs there is going on in regards to this.

 

[outwest]

I don't want to delve too much into this, but I saw the newspaper print out the same photo of a "cartel" grow op in two different years, 07 and 09, made me wonder how much bs there is going on in regards to this.

Lots and lots and lots of bs.

outwest

 

[Schwoop]

piles and piles of BS! like more BS then anything else kind of BS!

 

[Badmf]

Well if you didn't guess I am a guerilla gardener but not like these folks, no boobytraps no poison s and no trees cut down. I am an organic player and use sustainable practices. I collect rainwater and drip feed as well as water surrounding flora. I have seeen an increase in illegals but nothing outrageous yet. I know these growers leave males and the pollen will get to indoor crops as well as my OD. I am not in a park area but secured private land, enough of that. Just so you are enlightened Check out hands free outdoor grows on several sites I was an old OG'er. Peace badmf

 

[Burned Haze]

What sad days, They waste so much money on enforcement to rip all these plants, What obvious signs of a always failing drug war.

Supply meet the demand

 

[Intense]

Well if you didn't guess I am a guerilla gardener but not like these folks, no boobytraps no poison s and no trees cut down. I am an organic player and use sustainable practices. I collect rainwater and drip feed as well as water surrounding flora. I have seeen an increase in illegals but nothing outrageous yet. I know these growers leave males and the pollen will get to indoor crops as well as my OD. I am not in a park area but secured private land, enough of that. Just so you are enlightened Check out hands free outdoor grows on several sites I was an old OG'er. Peace badmf

And that's an important difference that comes with scale. No sane grower of 5 or 10, or even 20 plants, is going to set booby traps. Not poisoning the surrounding area and not clearing makes a big difference to the impact made during a guerrilla grow. Small-time guerrilla growers really should not be compared to large scale growers who are involved in organised crime IMHO.

 

[Badmf]

I read reports of massive grows thousands of plants, seemingly impossible to maintain, and these are citizens but greedy ones I imagine.

 

[kolah]

It must be those damn:

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[AssManOG]

Watch out for those TerrorAssts

 

[Tropical]

Watch out for those TerrorAssts
View attachment 233697

They are terrorizing me!

 

[AssManOG]

They are terrorizing me!

Yes I agree I have been ASSphyxiated by these TerrorAssts....hahaha