Pubdate: Fri, 09 Oct 2015
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2015 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Kirk Mitchell

FEDS RAID ILLEGAL MARIJUANA OPERATIONS

Colorado and federal agents have raided illegal marijuana operations 
across the state the past six weeks in a concerted effort to take out 
syndicates marketing marijuana to different parts of the country.

U.S. Attorney John Walsh's staff has filed numerous criminal charges 
in recent weeks against illegal operations.

"This wave of marijuana grow operation sites is greater than we've 
seen the last couple of years," Walsh said. "They seem to have the 
view that 'if I come to Colorado and set up a marijuana grow 
operation, I won't be noticed.' "

Walsh speculated that the influx could be linked to the drought in 
California, where many illegal grow operations have been found 
previously. Colorado is more desirable because it is not in drought, he said.

"Marijuana takes a lot of water to grow," Walsh said.

Local, state and federal agents have arrested 34 people, few of them 
Colorado residents, on illegal marijuana charges the past six weeks. 
Some of the offenders were citizens of Mexico, Honduras and Cuba. 
About 20,000 marijuana plants were destroyed as well as 300 kilograms 
of dried marijuana.

The search for illegal grow operations will continue to be 
aggressive, he said. At the time that Colorado passed its 
recreational law, federal agents warned that they would be 
particularly vigilant about illegal operations that exported 
marijuana to other states.

In every case in which arrests were made, the marijuana grows were 
both illegal under federal law and unlicensed by state authorities 
under Colorado's marijuana regulatory system, authorities said.

The biggest illegal marijuana ring that was dismantled was in 
southern Colorado. Authorities arrested 20 people on Sept. 1 for 
their alleged roles in a marijuana syndicate that harvested pot at 
eight properties - more than 1,000 plants - and shipped it to Florida 
via UPS. Agents confiscated 28 guns.

Agents destroyed an illegal grow operation with 3,900 marijuana 
plants on Aug. 19 in the Pike National Forest in the Green Mountain 
Area in Jefferson County. The agents confiscated 3,000 pounds of 
irrigation pipe, pesticides, flammable liquids, camping gear and trash.

Two Mexican nationals were arrested Aug. 28 in the Buffalo Pass area 
northeast of Steamboat Springs. Agents confiscated a gun and 
destroyed 1,000 plants.

Two men were arrested Sept. 7 in the San Isabel National Forest near 
Cordova Pass. Agents destroyed 11,700 plants and confiscated a rifle, 
irrigation pipe, pesticides, flammable liquids, camping gear and trash.

Federal agents arrested four Mexican nationals on Sept. 15 near a 
grow operation along the Dolores River on Bureau of Land Management 
land. BLM rangers found more than 1,200 marijuana plants up to six 
feet tall and confiscated 211 kilograms of dried marijuana and a rifle.

BLM agents also found 1,000 marijuana plants on Sept. 30 in Montrose, 
also near the Dolores River. Rangers arrested one Honduran and five 
Mexican nationals at or near the site.
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