Thread: Utah Grow site raid called a major blow to drug cartel

Grow site raid called a major blow to drug cartel

5:28 PM, Jul. 17, 2011
Written by David DeMille

VEYO – After making 38 arrests over the weekend in the largest raid of a marijuana field in Utah history, law enforcement officers spent all day Sunday working to remove the plants.

On Friday and Saturday, authorities hauled off 38 Mexican nationals suspected of tending to the field, and officials were calling the raid a major blow in their ongoing battle with a drug cartel that has been connected to multiple grow sites in Southern Utah the past two years.

"The investigation continues, but this was a major, major takedown," said Sue Thomas, supervisory special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration.


The eleven people arrested Friday included "upper-echelon" members of the operation, those "responsible for the management of the grows, for overseeing the harvest and deciding where the harvest would go," Thomas said. The managers, who came largely from California and Nevada, were likely in the area to help orchestrate the harvest, Thomas said.


The grow site, located in Cove Wash, approximately 5 miles northwest of Veyo in the northwestern part of Washington County, yielded nearly 14,000 plants, worth an estimated $28 million. It took five dump truck loads to haul the plants off, and nearly a half-mile of land in the deep ravine where the plants were hidden was ravaged by the growing operation.


While Thomas said she was unsure how much tangible impact the raid may have on marijuana distribution in Southern Utah, she did indicate it was a major blow to the organization, a transnational group authorities are not naming at this point.


Last year, more than 100,000 plants were found at 17 locations in Washington, Iron, Garfield and Wayne counties, resulting in 24 arrests.


Leading up to this weekend's arrests, multiple law enforcement agencies, led by the DEA and members of the Washington County Area Drug Task Force, investigated for more than a year, following leads developed during three of the 2010 raids, Thomas said.


Authorities are still on the lookout for some of the men who may have escaped Saturday's raid, and are warning nearby residents to stay safe and call authorities if they come into contact with a possible suspect.

Late Saturday night, one of the men suspected of escaping the raid was arrested in Veyo, trying to get a ride at a gas station.


Tonya Terry, who works at Spanish Trail Supply, said the man looked like he had been living in the wilderness, and did not know enough English to communicate.


"It was obvious when he came in," she said.


Washington County Sheriff Cory Pulsipher said his main concern has been for the safety of the residents. While those found during Saturday's raid were not armed, they have been during past grows, and there is an obvious danger for anyone who comes across one of the fields.


"This is an element coming in here that we don't want in our community," he said. "They have no concerns for the citizens, no concerns for the land."


About 70 members of law enforcement participated in the operation, from federal and state agencies as well as the Washington County Area Task Force, Washington County Sheriff¹s Office, St. George Police Department, county Search and Rescue, and officers from Kane County and the Fredonia Marshal.

http://www.thespectrum.com/article/2011 ... nav%7Chead

See how well profiling works !