Thread: 459,000 marijuana plants removed, 100 arrested in crackdown

459,000 marijuana plants removed, 100 arrested in huge crackdown

July 30, 2011 | 9:01am

Federal authorities said they have made 100 arrests in a crackdown on marijuana cultivation in Mendocino National Forest.

At a press conference Friday, Melinda Haag, U.S. attorney for the northern district of California, said the forest is "under attack" by armed drug traffickers.

"People don't go hiking in the summer" for fear of coming across the marijuana cultivators, she said. "I tell people be careful when they go hiking. This is an intolerable situation and it has to be stopped."

According to the U.S. attorney's office, officials spent the last few weeks removing 459,000 pot plants as well as 23 tons of trash and 22 miles of irrigation line.

Officials described Operation Full Court Press as one of the largest marijuana removal efforts in U.S. history.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... kdown.html

Huge pot bust in Northern California nets 1500 pounds of illegal weed in public forest
BY Nina Mandell
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Saturday, July 30th 2011, 10:37 AM

Busted!

Police in Northern California seized 1,500 pounds of marijuana and arrested more than 100 people Friday at a pot farm in Mendocino National Forest.

The two-week operation to get rid of the illegal cultivation on public lands also resulted in the uprooting of a whopping 460,000 pot plants in the region known for its high concentration of pot farms.

"The Mendocino National Forest is under attack by drug traffickers," U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag said.

In addition to the harmful consequences of drug trafficking, the public lands are also damaged by the marijuana cultivation.

But the forest is often a popular spot for marijuana farmers because of its remote location.

In addition to the drugs, California National Guard troops, Forest Service workers and local volunteers removed 46,000 tons of trash, propane tanks, piping, homemade dams and 57 pounds of pesticide, Haag said.

Poll @ link:

Poll Results

Do you think marijuana should be legal?

Yes 79%

No 14%

It depends on the situation 7%

With News Wire Services

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