|
veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
|
78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA]
#8586636 - 07/02/08 02:23 AM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
July 2, 2008 - fresnobee.com
Largest marijuana bust in Tulare County 78,524 pot plants destroyed; crop would have yielded more than $314 million in sales.
State and federal agents joined Tulare County detectives Monday to destroy more than 78,000 marijuana plants in a record haul for the county and, perhaps, for the Valley.
Four people were arrested in connection with the illegal pot plantation tucked into federal Bureau of Land Management property in the foothills east of Exeter.
"This is the largest single eradication and seizure operation in Tulare County history," said Lt. Mike Boudreaux, who heads the Tulare County Sheriff's Tactical Enforcement Patrol, or STEP. "This particular garden is extremely large, one of the largest I've ever seen."
A monthlong investigation pointed agents to the site about 41/2 miles east of a home at 35340 Yokohl Valley Drive, where agents tore out 78,524 individual marijuana plants.
"I'd have to say this covered about 15 acres," Boudreaux said. "The plants were about 4 or 5 feet apart, in rows that went across an entire mountainside."
Agents say each plant represents a pound of pot with a street value of about $4,000. The entire garden would have yielded more than $314 million had it grown to maturity and harvest.
Kyle Littlejohn, 37, who lives at the Yokohl Valley Drive address, was arrested on suspicion of cultivating marijuana and conspiracy to cultivate. Police said Littlejohn also had a stolen quad cycle valued at $8,000.
Three Lindsay residents were also arrested at their home on the 800 block of Foothill Avenue. They are Antonio Gonzalez, 29, booked on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana, conspiracy to cultivate and being under the influence of a controlled substance; Gumercindo Jimenez, 68, booked on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana; and Dimas Jimenez, 34, booked on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance and being under the influence of drugs.
Detectives are continuing their investigation.
"This case isn't over," Boudreaux said. "A grow site of this magnitude is typically tied to a highly organized drug-trafficking group."
Agents said the suspects may have sparked a foothill wildfire that burned about 30 acres in the area within the past couple of weeks.
But the fire may be the least of the problems for the remote site.
"There's a lot of damage to the mountainside and the landscape, in addition to the overall size of this thing," Boudreaux said. Terraces were carved into the hillside for the garden and for water storage, and natural streams were diverted to water and fertilize the plants. Native plants were clear-cut to make way for the illegal crop, and chemical fertilizers were also being used.
The haul was a collaboration between Tulare County narcotics detectives, the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the federal Bureau of Land Management, the national Forest Service and Park Service, the California National Guard, the state Department of Fish & Game and Visalia police.
From the time the search warrants were served between 6 and 6:30 a.m., about 60 agents and detectives worked for nearly 12 hours digging up the plants, which were airlifted by helicopter to an undisclosed location for burial to decompose.
The Valley's previous single-seizure record also appears to have been in Tulare County, an October 2003 seizure of about 75,000 plants near the Tule River Reservation east of Porterville -- a garden reported as the largest pot bust in the entire state for the year. That crop had an estimated street value of about $289 million.
|
MHbound
Ballin Out At All Cost
Registered: 09/24/07
Posts: 6,512
Loc: Under The Rainbow
Last seen: 6 years, 11 months
|
Re: 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA] [Re: veggie]
#8586648 - 07/02/08 02:31 AM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Morons. I mean how in the hell do you think that 80,000 plants will not be seen. Stupid. Thats a lot of work too.
--------------------
|
Deebard420
"Bostons Finest"
Registered: 03/15/08
Posts: 166
Loc: In A Mind Fuck
Last seen: 14 years, 7 months
|
Re: 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA] [Re: MHbound]
#8587093 - 07/02/08 09:19 AM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
your a moron who the fuck on this post besides MHbound wouldnt want to grow that many plants ya its a big risk but its not like hes the only person growing that much im sure theirs people who are growing more and are getting away with it
|
Seuss
Error: divide byzero
Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 1 month, 9 days
|
Re: 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA] [Re: Deebard420]
#8587122 - 07/02/08 09:36 AM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
> 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County
I wonder how many violent crimes happened while the cops were busy wasting time tearing down a "cannabis factory". I'm sure there is a "save teh children" in here somewhere as well...
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
|
Heffy
BrauMeister
Registered: 08/30/04
Posts: 3,262
Loc: International Traveller
Last seen: 5 years, 9 months
|
Re: 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA] [Re: Deebard420]
#8587379 - 07/02/08 11:01 AM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
I think you're a moron.
In my mind anyone growing 80,000 plants is probably a greedy lowlife with direct ties to organized crime.
Where I live 80,00 plants could be worth upwards of 150 million dollars wholesale. In America the value is probably double. Give me one good reason to have more than 300 million dollars worth of pot.
Seems a lot smarter to grow maybe 100 plants(which is still a lot) with a value of $200,000, and not risk spending the rest of your life in jail.
-------------------- I am the king of Rome, and above grammar! - Emperor Sigismund
|
dysphoria
lost soul
Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 1,651
|
Re: 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA] [Re: Heffy]
#8587446 - 07/02/08 11:23 AM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
you act like no one in america/your country has to buy their weed.
'organized crime' is what puts the weed in your bowl, the line on your mirror, and the smack in your veins.
want to play the blame game? blame your/our government, not the ones who decided to capitalize off it.
--------------------
|
alphabeatu
Sire
Registered: 11/07/07
Posts: 2,750
|
Re: 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA] [Re: dysphoria]
#8587540 - 07/02/08 11:48 AM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
you'd also be surprised what they define 'organised crime ' as these days
two or 3 friends getting together for a little fast cash making weed selling entreprise even if its a one off is organised crime these days
weed growing is considered organised crime if its done under lights hydroponically now,thats why they always say its a 'sophisticated indoor grow' when they bust them
thats why theyve kept weed illegal and are lumping it in the same class as narcotics
to blur the two together
-------------------- i need names and addresses of narc members pm for details
|
MHbound
Ballin Out At All Cost
Registered: 09/24/07
Posts: 6,512
Loc: Under The Rainbow
Last seen: 6 years, 11 months
|
Re: 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA] [Re: Deebard420]
#8587831 - 07/02/08 01:26 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
your a moron who the fuck on this post besides MHbound wouldnt want to grow that many plants ya its a big risk but its not like hes the only person growing that much im sure theirs people who are growing more and are getting away with it
I doubt you read the whole article. Part of my "moron" statement was due to the fact that oh lets see.....They planted them on a mountain side. In CA real smart. I'm not sure of this, but I'm willing to bet they have the most air patrol searching for plants. So you would probably want to hide them, but these guys chose a mountain side. Why don't you just put up a sign that says hey pot down here don't mind us. I mean seriously.
--------------------
|
icanttype
Lurker
Registered: 11/18/07
Posts: 584
Last seen: 4 months, 20 days
|
Re: 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA] [Re: MHbound]
#8588173 - 07/02/08 03:20 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
that is A LOT of fuckin weed damn
-------------------- GGTBod - "Sounds great, get trippin get naked and get animalistic make her laugh and piss all over you, i see no problems here "
|
boletusoftruth
Psychedelic Funk
Registered: 10/03/07
Posts: 1,133
Loc: MASS
Last seen: 11 years, 2 months
|
Re: 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA] [Re: icanttype]
#8588214 - 07/02/08 03:31 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Agents say each plant represents a pound of pot with a street value of about $4,000
I dont see how 1 marijuana plant equals one pound...
I'd see maybe 1-3 ounces. But a pound??
--------------------
|
underdwg
Knowledge Seeker
Registered: 06/13/08
Posts: 54
Loc: Gold Coast
Last seen: 13 years, 2 months
|
Re: 78,524 pot plants destroyed in Tulare County [CA] [Re: boletusoftruth]
#8588577 - 07/02/08 05:39 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Plants grow big out here bro! My buds (w/ their medical mj cards) get 1 Lb EASY on outdoor plants. Shit grows big out here. If their irrigation/nutrients was dispersed properly a pound a plant would be easy. 80,000 may seem stupid to some. But when you are talking about growing that many in the middle of freaking no-where .. it's easy to get away with. Seems to me the main reason they got busted is because they accidentally started a fire. FIRE brings firefighters/helicopters/police. Read the article. This is a drop of water in the bucket out here though!!
|
|