May 03, 2013 1:00 am • Staff report
Santa Maria Times
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Cojo Ranch employees’ discovery of a panga boat and approximately $4 million worth of marijuana near Point Conception has led to the arrest of a man in connection with drug trafficking.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said ranch workers found the 30-foot boat beached within a secluded cove on the Cojo Ranch, below the Point Conception Lighthouse about 9:45 a.m. Thursday.

Narcotics detectives found approximately 2,000 pounds of marijuana stashed at the base of a nearby cliff, Hoover said.

The discovery came three days after deputies arrested 19-year-old Jesus Garcia-Guzman from Mexico on suspicion of burglary, according to Hoover. Deputies allege he entered structures on Hollister Ranch late Monday evening.

Investigators initially suspected Garcia-Guzman was involved in drug trafficking activity and allegedly linked him to the recently found boat and marijuana.

Garcia-Guzman is in the Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of drug trafficking and burglary with bail set at $100,000.

Because of the cove’s remote location, a county helicopter assisted in removing the marijuana from the beach, Hoover added.

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