A multi-agency law enforcement effort eradicated illegally grown marijuana plants with an estimated street value of about $23 million over the last two months, according to Commander Saul Lopez of the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force.
Four suspects were arrested on suspicion of crimes related to illegal cultivation of marijuana in the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Preserve near Devil’s Canyon west of Highway 35, Cmdr. Lopez said.
Joaquin Sanchez, 38, of Redwood City, Joel Ochoa Sanchez, 32, also of Redwood City, Juan Farias Galeana, 28, of Michoacan, Mexico and Jose Antonio Mendoza, 26, also of Michoacan, Mexico, were arrested and booked at the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City, Cmdr. Lopez said.
The multi-agency effort, dubbed the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, also involved the California Office of the Attorney General, the San Francisco Water Department, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Public Space Preserve, the U.S. Department of Forestry and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Cmdr. Lopez said the marijuana grow sites were well-hidden on the properties, the plants ranged in height from 2 to 10 feet, and sophisticated irrigation systems were used to tap into water sources.
credit:almanacnews.com
