Massive pot bust linked to Mexican drug cartel
By Liz Gelardi, TV5 Reporter -
ROSCOMMON COUNTY, MI (WNEM) -

A massive marijuana grow operation was busted by state and federal authorities Friday. WNEM TV5 cameras got to go along for the raid.

TV5 was the only news organization to tag along as officers from the DEA, STING narcotics, BAYANET and local law enforcement agencies pulled up the plants, worth millions of dollars.

Officers went deep into a forest in Roscommon County where growers had planted about 3,000 marijuana plants. A tip led investigators to the site and they say this ring had ties to drug cartels in Mexico.

"These are not your typical local growers, these people are dangerous and they mean business," said Lt. Jeff Anthony with the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team.

Police say there were five areas being used to grow the drugs and they were extremely difficult to get to. The Department of Natural Resources actually had to clear a path in the forest for police to go in. They used ATVs to get through the dense trees then hiked through the brush and mud.

"Well that's exactly what they're looking for, they're looking for areas that nobody else wants to go to," said Anthony.

All the plants were pulled up by hand and carried out of the forest. The evidence was processed then burned on-site. Anthony said the street value for these plants would've been an upwards of $3 million dollars.

TV5's Liz Gelardi went with police. She took the pictures in the above slideshow, showing the camp area and conditions the growers were living in. The growers were not there at the time of the raid.

Officers also found warning signs carved in a tree and a shrine in the forest.

Police believe suspects connected to the grow operation could be living downstate. Investigators are trying to track those individuals down for questioning.

"The initial investigation led us to a considerable amount of plants but I don't think anyone knew how far this would reach," said Anthony.

Copyright WNEM 2011. All rights reserved.

http://www.wnem.com/story/15299039/mass ... rug-cartel

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