Police bust biggest outdoor marijuana plantation ever found in Oregon

[Chronic Monster]

Police in remote northeastern Oregon destroyed more than 91,000 marijuana plants, found a stash of weapons and arrested six suspects this week, stubbing out what they call the biggest outdoor pot operation ever discovered in the state.

A multi-agency investigation started this spring, after bear hunters happened upon the site on public land in northern Wallowa County and reported it to police.

Early Wednesday morning, law enforcement closed in.

Rallying help from a dozen agencies, including support from the Oregon State Police SWAT team and in the air from the Oregon Army National Guard, police arrived at the national forest site where plants as small as starts and as big as 10 inches stretched for more than a mile.

Growers apparently had removed trees and underbrush in a ravine they'd terraced extensively.

In addition to the suspects, police found guns that included semi-automatic long-barreled weapons, and campsites with enough supplies to sustain growers for several weeks.


Heaps of trash, miles of plastic tubing, plastic plant containers, herbicides and other toxic chemicals had been dumped along a river's edge, according to Wallowa County Sheriff Fred Steen.

As the investigation continues, the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division will study potential environment damage caused by the growing operation, "which had been going on for a substantial period," a news release said.

"Many people would be outraged at the damage to our public lands caused by illegal marijuana growers," said Sgt. John Shaul of the La Grande Police Department, which took part in the bust.

Lodged in Union County Jail and charged with unlawful manufacture and possession of marijuana are: Arturo B. Barrera, 26; Federico R. Carrasco, 24; Christian R. Gonzalez, 28; Fredy F. Montes, 32; Jesus A. Sanchez, 21; and Audel C. Soto, 29.

They may also face charges related to environmental crimes.

Police haven't confirmed where the suspects are from.

Steen, the Wallowa sheriff, urges Oregonians to be careful recreating this summer in the state's remote areas, since this and other grow operations typically have been occupied by people armed with weapons.

 

[pura]

A multi-agency investigation started this spring, after bear hunters happened upon the site on public land in northern Wallowa County and reported it to police.

They may also face charges related to environmental crimes.

Those bear hunters should of been arrested for environmental crimes..
God's beauty right there...

 

[Illmind]

lol what a buncha bitches. one had a .22 prolly but unfortunately balls are sold seperately. found 91,000 nothing, biggest bust my ass. 91k 1inchers a .22 and 6 vatoes = amatuer hour. lol they all mean mugging n shit. save that ugly ass stinkface for the judge when he reads u the verdict. i smell a rico lol.

 

[hiboy]

ADDIOS AMIGOS.
Your ass is literally grass
h

 

[kripplecreek]

What greed gets you. :lock:

Though..ive gotta say..FING HUNTERS ALWAYS FINDING SHIT lol if I saw a damn field id leave it the hell alone and come back in a month or 2 or three and take eneough to cram my squirrely cheeks to the brim :harvest:

 

[Chronic Monster]

...found 91,000 nothing, biggest bust my ass. 91k 1inchers a .22 and 6 vatoes = amatuer hour. lol they all mean mugging n shit. save that ugly ass stinkface for the judge when he reads u the verdict. i smell a rico lol.

:giggle
+rep
yes I have to agree, this would have been a much more interesting story in Oct:)

 

[swisscheese]

That's the kind of stuff that deserves to get busted 91k plants is just greedy no need for all that.

 

[Chronic Monster]

Nobody deserves to be busted for marijuana, at least thats how I feel. :joint:

 

[MIway]

Nobody deserves to be busted for marijuana, at least thats how I feel. :joint:

+1

 

[Snow Crash]

I hate to say it (because it sounds a little racist) but it seems like 90% of the big time growers who get busted up here are either from Asia or Central America. Given that they only represent about 15% of the population that's an odd statistic. Every week they are tearing down grow houses and outdoor farms, hundreds of thousands of plants up here seized by the Gov't. And it's always because some shmoe saw something obvious. Like, people carrying plants into the house and blacked out windows. Or growing an outrageous number of plants on state owned public land.

Just an odd observation... that's all.

 

[MIway]

Think a white guy is going to hump it out into the forest, terrace acres, take care of it & then hump it back out?

Not being racist, just based on previous observations... ;-)

 

[kripplecreek]

Think a white guy is going to hump it out into the forest, terrace acres, take care of it & then hump it back out?

Not being racist, just based on previous observations... ;-)

Thank you!!! I belong to one of those "minorities" lol and the wife belongs to the other haha

 

[darkmatter]

i dont doubt they would kill you, if you rolled up on them with that much at stake,and i fairly think that much herb growing in that spot wouldnt of got harvested by anyone but the law dogs anyway.

 

[plant-lover68]

These people do not have the right to take over public land and trash it to get rich with all these plants. They make the rest of us look bad and are probably financed by the cartels in Mexico who are killing thousands of people just to get rich and screw any man, woman or child who gets in their way. They do not represent the majority of pot growers and it's a shame everyone is so guilt-tripped to think it's racist to criticize them. They give the drug nazi's all the ammunition they need to keep pot illegal and out of reach for sick patients who need it. Would you want to smoke this pot? I used to hunt and fish before being disabled in 1996 and I believe the public land is for everyone, not just the cartels. Their greed and total lack of respect for anyone else to use public land but them, got them busted. I have no sympathy for them at all.
My heart goes out to the 65 year old man who was busted with 100 plants on his own property and charged with a weapons charge and is looking at 15 years or in all honesty, a death sentence. If these outlaws are illegal, they will be deported. Just because you grow pot does not give you the right to rape Mother Earth. Do it on your own property and be discreet and take your chances.

 

[Chronic Monster]

Let me say this, I don't think anyone should go to jail for growing weed, but for gods sake be responsible about it.

How would you all feel if this grow op was run by some old hippies doing everything organic kind.

Now I hate the cartels, hate brick weed, hate mother earth polluters.
but everyone who grows weed is sorta likea freedom fighter I think. Cartels help people get marijuana in the US, its reall shitty marijuana sure. But some areas thats all thats floating around or all that a person might be able to afford.

 

[swisscheese]

Let me say this, I don't think anyone should go to jail for growing weed, but for gods sake be responsible about it.

How would you all feel if this grow op was run by some old hippies doing everything organic kind.

Now I hate the cartels, hate brick weed, hate mother earth polluters.
but everyone who grows weed is sorta likea freedom fighter I think. Cartels help people get marijuana in the US, its reall shitty marijuana sure. But some areas thats all thats floating around or all that a person might be able to afford.

These dudes are not freedom fighters they're greedy pieces of shit fucking up the market, laws, and land for everyone else. When someone takes their family to a national park they shouldn't have to worry about fucking poison in the water or walking the wrong way and getting shot. You don't qualify as an amateur with 91k plants no matter how small they are. And if it was all organic that would be awesome but there's no way they could maintain that many plants organically unless floramite, avid, hexagon, etc are organic.

Cartels kill innocent families every day. Imagine having a kid stolen. Go ahead and support that if it makes you feel good about yourself. I'll continue to grow my own and support as many local growers as I can. Maybe you're a cartel cat and that's why you feel that way.

And by really shitty marijuana you mean unsafe for human consumption containing tons of pesticide and/or mold.

I don't think they should go to jail for growing weed I think they should go to jail for being assholes who are selfish and greedy and damaging the environment and for undercutting every other grower because they work for a "cartel".

Got really fired up there time to go medicate.

 

[Chronic Monster]

Maybe you're a cartel cat and that's why you feel that way.

Oh God, really? :giggle

 

[SLO Grown]

Thing is, these poor workers really were just trying to make a living. They, no doubt, had nothing to do with the real deal going on here.

 

[swisscheese]

Thing is, these poor workers really were just trying to make a living. They, no doubt, had nothing to do with the real deal going on here.

How are they poor workers? You can make a living at this without raping the forest. For all I know though they could have been forced into this via extorsion.

 

[Zedekia]

Although I want to see Marijuana decriminalized, this is exactly why it is illegal. I am quite sure even if the plant and "drug" were legal these cats were breaking so many other laws at the same time...

It makes us look bad, but also takes the heat off anyone who is out to grow only for themselves. If we compare ourselves to them say in court, we look nothing like them....