Madera County pot bust nets illegals

Posted at 09:17 AM on Friday, Sep. 17, 2010
By Jim Guy / The Fresno Bee Share

Three men that Madera County Sheriff John Anderson says have ties to drug-trafficking organizations were arrested Thursday near Chowchilla on charges of possessing firearms. Also, the 175 marijuana plants they were tending were seized.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Erica Stuart said the three had medical marijuana cards but they are undocumented aliens. The sheriff said undocumented aliens are not allowed to possess firearms. Stuart said they would be sent back to Mexico.

Stuart also said the department seized the plants because once the suspects were in custody, there was no one on the property with medical permission to grow the plants.

"That play bought each of them a one-way pass back to Mexico," Anderson said.

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