The second marijuana eradication operation this summer unfolded on Inyo National Forest lands outside of Lone Pine on Tuesday. The Inyo Narcotics Enforcement Team reported that agents eradicated about 4,000 marijuana plants with a potential street value of $10 million dollars. It was the end of August when Mono narcotics agents reported the eradication of around 30,000 marijuana plants at an undisclosed location on the Inyo National Forest.
INET agents said that the site this week appeared to have been abandoned by the cultivators in days prior to the law enforcement operation. INET said that they had help from the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
Agents said they removed large loads of garbage and rubber hose left behind by the cultivators.
A CHP helicopter also assisted the eradication team with extraction of marijuana plants and garbage. Officers and agents warned the public that if you become aware that you have entered a cultivation site, leave to avoid possible threat. The INET press release says, “Walk, crawl or run out the way you came in and make as little noise as possible. The growers,” said agents, “may not know that you found their operation, or they might not be present.” Agents advise that you contact law enforcement as soon as possible.
Clues for those hiking the backcountry who may find a cultivation site include the smell of marijuana similar to skunk; hoses or drip lines; a well-used trail where there shouldn’t be one; voices in unusual places; people standing along roads without vehicles; campsites in unusual places; small propane bottles; fertilizer; weapons; garbage and individuals armed with rifles out of hunting season.
False sense of accomplishment! Especially when it leads to people putting bombs in our post office.
question for benett. have any info on what went down at the post office in lone pine on friday.
Check out our story now posted.
Benett
Around August 24th, INET busted a marijuana grow and said that “the 30,000 plants were worth $108 million”- that’s $3,600/plant…… Now INET says that “4,000 marijuana plants with a potential street value of $10 million dollars.” This is equal to $2,500 a plant. Yet in LA County they found “1,800… Read more »
Just a detail – it was MONET that handled the 30,000 plants.
BK
Benett- If I remember correctly, the list of departments involved with the 30,000 plants bust was about a paragraph long???
True. MONET was in charge.
BK
What appens to the weed? can anyone tell me were it goes, I know a couple of years ago they used Inyo County Inmates to help rip out te gardens. I am wondering if the confiscated pot gets in the market.
Andrew- It goes to waste- instead of taxing it like thier beloved booze , our goverment chooses to waste billions of dollars fighting a losing war on it’s own people. Just legalize it’s use on private property , so people who don’t want to be around it can be free… Read more »
10 million? They have no idea what they are talking about… and no most pot does not come from mexico, since they grow crap.
Look into a credible source on the top three smuggled narcotics over the Mexican border. Our current law criminalizing Marijuana gives the underground sale of marijuana a very high demand and feeds the evil ones who profit from it with lots of job security. Of course most pot doesn’t come… Read more »
It takes the .gov several months to look at millions of spy satellite pictures.
I’m wondering why wait until the end of the growing season to make the bust. if these growers are dangerous to joe public why not take them out in the spring or early summer.
The reason they wait is simple. It makes a better news story to say the estimated value is 10 million dollars rather than saying we eradicated 4 thousand seedlings with no estimated value.
I have personally turned over GPS cordinates with photo eveidence of grow sites (pictures of the seedlings) over to law enforcement, only to to see the eradication of mature plants.
Being that they rarely catch or proscute anyone it’s basically a waste of time. The growers just return the following season and do the same thing again. I don’t believe the abandon grow site story either. Produce some arrests and then show us some prosocutions or it’s nothing but job… Read more »
Mark…So what do you suggest ?…..Should Law Enforcement go to these grow-sites and help with the irrigation if no one is around ….maybe leave some food,water and supplies for the “farmers”….maybe some milk and cookies for when they return ?
I suggest catching those in charge of the operation by covert surveillance. Much like DFG did a few years back to catch those guys hunting within Yosemite park. I fully understand these grow areas need cleaned up, but I question the value when weighed against the cost year after year… Read more »
I think .. sometimes they are not detected right away … but good question .. it seems when ever you watch shows like the CADFG show .. showing game wardens busting pot farms, or any documentary on the subject, the plants are always in the mature stage. Any time, it… Read more »
They know about these sites when they are small, if they here really about eradication they would take them out when they first know about them rather then let the public be at risk with these sites left there so the cops can make themselves feel like they are doing… Read more »
Curious, how do you know law enforcement know about the sites when plants are small?
Benett
Why else would they wait after they have heard word of a site? For one it doesn’t show much of a demand of police force if your crop worth is only hundreds rather then millions. This country and state will sooner or later legalize Marijuana and it will quickly show… Read more »
Benett….My bet is,Law Enforcement does know of these sites BEFORE they decide to eradicate them…..maybe they find out about them,one way or the other,do a little bit of surveillance of the area,hoping to catch the “farmers” at the site, hoping for some arrests,and if that don’t happen,then swoop in and… Read more »
Ten million dollars, I could get it cheaper right down the block 🙂
Completely free if you’re in the circle 🙂
smoking is bad though, go with the edibles or use a vaporizor
LOL! Edibles and vaporizers … hehe
Hey Mark, if you drink beer every now and then, your a total hypocrite. That’s coming from someone who hasn’t smoked pot in 10 years plus. Pots a lot less harmful.
Mark, sorry about my last comment to you. I totally misread your remark.
Hi Trouble, I consider myself I social alcoholic, I average about $800 a month at my local watering hole. My setup of choice is an ice cold Corona beer and a shot of Patron silver. and yes I agree pot is a lot less harmful. Although I’m not going to… Read more »
Hey Mark- Is it true Patron doesn’t give ya a hang over? Hope so. 🙂
It is ridiculous! The ones who do this to our lands do because it is very much worth it for them. Here we are wasting our resources on the eradication of these plants individuals will always profit from. Marijuana is the most smuggled drug on Mexican border, Because the ever… Read more »
I have to question if Jeremiah’s Alter Ego knows what they’re talking about when it comes to the most smugled drug on the mexican boarder. . btw, pots illegal because it makes for good business Who is anyone to say why someone else should or shouldn’t use Marijuana. It may… Read more »
Mark….You say “Who is anyone to say why someone else should or shouldn’t use marijuana”….For starters,from my own experiences in the old days….and what I have seen from others in the newer days,driving a vehicle on the public highways all high and stupid on this newer,stronger weed they got going… Read more »
More people continue to be killed by drunk drivers then will ever be killed by those driving stoned. Yet that martini you speak of continues to be legal.
I don’t recommend driving stone but I’ll tell you what………
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING WILL KILL MORE PEOPLE THEN THOSE DRIVING STONED.
Perhaps cell phones should be illegal?
I believe it and also see the nonsense of criminalizing Marijuana and the extra negative impacts it has on the American people and state budgets when pursued as a crime.
don’t they have anything better to do?
GGW
This is getting ridiculous. I’ve been hiking around this area for most of my life. Now I’m suppose to crawl home if I come across a plant. I would rather stand my ground.
If they would stop calling a herb a drug and then stop classifying it as a narcotic to top it off, these people wouldn’t be in buisness up here.
Why not let us know where these (both) grow-sites are so we can avoid them ?
Big Rick- I’m sure half of Bishop would volunteer to pick it for free. The other half are cops. 🙂