Large Pot Farm in Arizona National Forest Busted

MICHELLE ROBERTS
Associated Press Writer


PHOENIX (AP) -- Authorities have uncovered a mile (1 1/2-kilometer)-long marijuana farm running through a remote, heavily forested ravine in the Coconino National Forest.

The field included ''thousands and thousands and thousands'' of plants, though it was unclear exactly how many, said Sgt. Mike Johnson of the Gila County Sheriff's Office.

Another law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, estimated there could be more than 100,000 plants.

Members of the Gila County Narcotics Enforcement Task Force had been investigating and doing surveillance since July on the farm north of Strawberry on the southernmost part of Coconino National Forest.

A man was seen tending the plants and camping in the garden in July and August, according to court paperwork released Tuesday.

Last week, another man was spotted in the garden, and on Monday, two others were seen there. The men, who were heavily armed, were confronted by law enforcement and arrested.

Three of them admitted they had been paid to tend the marijuana plants. All were illegal immigrants, according to paperwork filed with U.S. District Court in Flagstaff. The men were identified in federal court paperwork as Jesus Castillo Malendrez, Gerardo Manzo Pulido, Oscar Nunez Medina and David Valencia Gonzalez. Castillo, Manzo and Valencia are from Mexico.

The investigation involved numerous agencies, but most were referring calls to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which refused to answer questions about the size and scope of the farm until a news conference scheduled for Thursday.

Hard working people growing the drugs Americans wont grow.

Quoted: Hard working people growing the drugs Americans wont grow.

and on public land no-less, I wonder how heavily booby-trapped that place is?

No, No!!! It can't be, don't you know that all these poor unfortunates want to do is escape to a land of opportunity and plenty. They want to be productive members of society, and help pay into the system that helps their less fortunate brothers....

Thats sarcasm by the way....

1.5 miles is 7920 feet.  One plant every few feet - why am I picturing Johnny Appleseed here?  (or, Juan Appleseed as the case may be).

Quoted: Quoted: Hard working people growing the drugs Americans wont grow.

now THAT is funny

My bigest gripe- they're taking jobs from honest, hardworking Amers.

If we just got smart and legalized the stuff, the price would drop and operations like that would be out of business.

American kids these days just aren't willing to start entry level.  Right out of college and right to Kingpin.

Quoted: If we just got smart and legalized the stuff, the price would drop and operations like that would be out of business.

so would everything else. People would be too high and lazy to work anywhere. It would mean that we would have to import our Doriitos and Twinkies from other non-drug smoking nations to feed the munchies of America.

The sad thing is that it was probably low grade pot.
If you are going to take the time and trouble to grow that much pot, for gods sake do it right. Jeez!

Quoted: The sad thing is that it was probably low grade pot. he

Someone wasn't thinking very far ahead.

Quoted: Quoted: If we just got smart and legalized the stuff, the price would drop and operations like that would be out of business. so would everything else. People would be too high and lazy to work anywhere. It would mean that we would have to import our Doriitos and Twinkies from other non-drug smoking nations to feed the munchies of America.

I hope you jest.

great, now it's going to be harder to score

First gas prices, now grass prices.

these guys will be deported and back in a week to grow more pot for our black market.

Why take the chance of getting busted with 10Kilos hidden in a car coming accross the border, when you can just walk accross with nothing on you, picked up by a coyote, and dropped off on the front step of the person whos says go grow me some pot to sell and I'll pay you $10.00/day.

Nice to see the filthy little roaches coming here for a better life and doing all the things Americans won't do to make our lifes better and introducing us to their wonderful culture.

They're such great people.

Quoted: Quoted: If we just got smart and legalized the stuff, the price would drop and operations like that would be out of business. so would everything else. People would be too high and lazy to work anywhere. It would mean that we would have to import our Doriitos and Twinkies from other non-drug smoking nations to feed the munchies of America.

Let's see some hard, factual, scientific evidence to support that, gaspain.

Cannabis cultivation and use was perfectly everywhere in the US until states started banning it in the 1930s, and people weren't "too high and lazy to work".

IIRC there's a group of locals from arizonashooting.com that recon for methlabs and pot farms so they can turn them over to the authorities.


w00t

Quoted: Nice to see the filthy little roaches coming here for a better life and doing all the things Americans won't do to make our lifes better and introducing us to their wonderful culture. They're such great people.www.ar15.com/images/smilies/anim_puke.gif

Yep, there's no white people that produce, grow or distribute drugs.

None at all.

Only the filthy disgusting little sub human roaches.

This never used to happen when Hells Angels were growing the dope, but the government went and outsourced them too.

Quoted: Quoted: Nice to see the filthy little roaches coming here for a better life and doing all the things Americans won't do to make our lifes better and introducing us to their wonderful culture. They're such great people.www.ar15.com/images/smilies/anim_puke.gif Yep, there's no white people that produce, grow or distribute drugs. None at all. Only the filthy disgusting little sub human roaches.

That's not the point moron and you know it. I knew you'd be along to defend the filthy sub-human roaches.

I thought all of those filthy, worthless illegals were all hard working honest citizens. That's what you and all the other illegal alien loving liars keep saying. Why is it that they are on the news or news paper every other day for this kind of shit, or kidnapping, or murder, or shooting at cops or home invasions and every other conceivable crime?

Illegal alien loving

Illegal Aliens....

They were trying to overgrow the government

Hemp is a wonderful natural resource, we would find many uses for it if the Government wasn't worried about lining their own and their oil buddies pockets.

Hemp is also a known and proven clean burning energy source. cough, cough!

Quoted: Quoted: Nice to see the filthy little roaches coming here for a better life and doing all the things Americans won't do to make our lifes better and introducing us to their wonderful culture. They're such great people.www.ar15.com/images/smilies/anim_puke.gif Yep, there's no white people that produce, grow or distribute drugs. None at all. Only the filthy disgusting little sub human roaches.

HMMM so you're saying that because there is already a large class of shit people here, we shouldn't get all upset about the importation of more shit people. That makes sense.

It clearly says in the bible that God put all these plants and animals here for us.

Excuse me if I dont particularily think that time, money, and manpower to stop a plant is a good use of our resoures.

Quoted: HMMM so you're saying that because there is already a large class of shit people here, we shouldn't get all upset about the importation of more shit people. That makes sense.

What pray tell makes the people in this particular news article "shit people."

Gee I never thought working outside in the hot sun and growing something makes you some sort of subhuman?

I've seen my fair share of stupid lazy, whites, blacks, and mexicans, but I'd never say anyone who was atleast working in some manner is a piece of shit.

The pieces of shit are the fuckers who sit on there lazy asses and get welfare.

Quoted: It clearly says in the bible that God put all these plants and animals here for us. Excuse me if I dont particularily think that time, money, and manpower to stop a plant is a good use of our resoures.

Quoted: Quoted: HMMM so you're saying that because there is already a large class of shit people here, we shouldn't get all upset about the importation of more shit people. That makes sense. What pray tell makes the people in this particular news article "shit people." Gee I never thought working outside in the hot sun and growing something makes you some sort of subhuman? I've seen my fair share of stupid lazy, whites, blacks, and mexicans, but I'd never say anyone who was atleast working in some manner is a piece of shit. The pieces of shit are the fuckers who sit on there lazy asses and get welfare.

You forgot to end your prayer with 3 Ayn Rands and a Michael Badnarik.

Quoted: It clearly says in the bible that God put all these plants and animals here for us. Excuse me if I dont particularily think that time, money, and manpower to stop a plant is a good use of our resoures.

The opium poppy is just a plant.  So is the Castor bean plant...

Quoted: Quoted: It clearly says in the bible that God put all these plants and animals here for us. Excuse me if I dont particularily think that time, money, and manpower to stop a plant is a good use of our resoures. The opium poppy is just a plant.  So is the Castor bean plant...

And both are legal to grow.

Quoted: Nice to see the filthy little roaches coming here for a better life and doing all the things Americans won't do to make our lifes better and introducing us to their wonderful culture. They're such great people.www.ar15.com/images/smilies/anim_puke.gif

There is a simple solution to the problem. Legalize marijuana and take them out of the business. Same thing we did when we had this same kind of problem with illegal stills during the 1920s.

I think one of the interesting effects of marijuana prohibition is that it will probably make high-grade marijuana endemic throughout much of the US. Walk through the forest ten years from now and you may see wild marijuana plants scattered about the terrain.

At least some of the plants they raise in these plantations will go to seed before they are harvested. The seeds will drop and create new plants, and they will spread. Same thing happened with hemp when it was commonly grown in the US, and still today they can find stands of "volunteer" hemp that stretch for acres.

I think it is interesting how policies designed to stamp something out can have the directly opposite effect. California seems to be a particularly good candidate for this, with lots of terrain that might support wild marijuana. Kentucky would be another one.

Should have just started launching Mortars into the fields



or burned them out.....   wonder how fast dope growers can run.........

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Nice to see the filthy little roaches coming here for a better life and doing all the things Americans won't do to make our lifes better and introducing us to their wonderful culture. They're such great people.www.ar15.com/images/smilies/anim_puke.gif Yep, there's no white people that produce, grow or distribute drugs. None at all. Only the filthy disgusting little sub human roaches. HMMM so you're saying that because there is already a large class of shit people here, we shouldn't get all upset about the importation of more shit people. That makes sense.

No, not at all - these guys deserve the worst that can come to them.  However, to classify an entire group of people by the actions of the few is a error of the worst kind.

I've seen anti-gun people do that as well.  Perhaps you haven't.

I do agree though, that the legalization of these things would remove the criminal element from it.

You don't hear much about illegal distilleries hiding in the National Forests, do ya?

Quoted: I think one of the interesting effects of marijuana prohibition is that it will probably make high-grade marijuana endemic throughout much of the US. Walk through the forest ten years from now and you may see wild marijuana plants scattered about the terrain. At least some of the plants they raise in these plantations will go to seed before they are harvested. The seeds will drop and create new plants, and they will spread. Same thing happened with hemp when it was commonly grown in the US, and still today they can find stands of "volunteer" hemp that stretch for acres. I think it is interesting how policies designed to stamp something out can have the directly opposite effect. California seems to be a particularly good candidate for this, with lots of terrain that might support wild marijuana. Kentucky would be another one.

there are wild grass plants lining the country roads here.

Pot Farms In Arizona National Forests a Growing Problem


PHOENIX (AP) -- Arizona's national forests are quickly becoming prime real estate for pot farmers, with approximately 100,000 marijuana plants discovered this year alone, authorities said Thursday.

The discovery of a marijuana farm north of Strawberry on the southernmost part of Coconino National Forest marks the sixth farm found this year by members of the Gila County Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. In all, federal authorities estimated the street value of the drugs to be $150 million.

''We seem to be the marijuana growing capitol of Arizona,'' said task force Commander Steve Craig.

Eleven people have been arrested this year in connection with the farms - many of them caught while tending to the plants. All were illegal immigrants from Mexico. Each faces sentences of 10 years to life in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.

Authorities said pot gardens have been discovered in Arizona forests since the 1980s, but the frequency and crop size has dramatically increased in recent years.

''We have very sophisticated, dangerous individuals moving onto our state lands,'' said Department of Public Safety Director Roger Vanderpool.

Paul Charlton, the U.S. Attorney for Arizona, said some of the suspected gardeners were armed with assault weapons. Charlton also said federal investigators were tying to find out if the suspects have connections to specific drug cartels in Mexico.

On the latest farm, grown near a remote ravine, the task force had been investigating and doing surveillance since a man was spotted tending the plants and camping in the garden in July. Last week, another man was spotted in the garden, and on Monday, two others were seen there.

Task force members confronted and arrested the men on Monday. Authorities said the group had several weapons stashed at the campsite.

Three of them admitted they had been paid to tend the marijuana plants.

Authorities on Thursday said latest bust had as many as 20,000 marijuana stalks, planted in pockets at the base of pine trees and scattered on the forest floor.

''It's not like planting corn in Iowa; there aren't neat rows,'' Craig said.

Authorities spent days this week pulling the plants and airlifting them out of a heavily forested canyon so steep that it's difficult to access by road. Craig said his team likely would need to continue pulling plants through next week.

The other five farms discovered this year in nearby Tonto National Forest account for roughly 83,800 pot plants confiscated, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Jim Payne. One farm found south of the Mogollon Rim in late July had 67,000 plants.

Forest officials said they suspect public lands have become increasingly popular for marijuana gardens because of the vast remote locations patrolled only intermittently by Forest Service law enforcement.

Robin Poague, who supervises Forest Service law enforcement in Arizona and New Mexico, said he oversees a total of 36 officers across his two-state region - meaning each person is responsible for patrolling an average of 200,000 acres.

In Gila County, where the majority of farms have been discovered, Craig said less than 2 percent of the county is privately owned.

Forest officials said in addition to concerns over hikers or others stumbling onto a farm and potentially violent caretakers, environmental damage from the farms is immense.

Poague said many marijuana farmers use pesticides and other chemicals like plant food, which are harmful to forest vegetation.

''It's not just the cultivation,'' Poague said. ''It really impacts the environment.''

He said the farmers hike into the canyons, reroute natural water sources to feed the farm, and leave trash behind in pristine forest areas.

It's then left to foresters to pick up litter and reroute drainages back into their natural path, which is expensive, Poague said.

Quoted: I think one of the interesting effects of marijuana prohibition is that it will probably make high-grade marijuana endemic throughout much of the US. Walk through the forest ten years from now and you may see wild marijuana plants scattered about the terrain.

Without proper tending and fertalization it will just be ditch weed.

Quoted: You don't hear much about illegal distilleries hiding in the National Forests, do ya?

Yes, actually there is still (pun intended) plenty of untaxed alcohol being produced in some parts of the country, often on public land.

Quoted: Quoted: You don't hear much about illegal distilleries hiding in the National Forests, do ya? Yes, actually there is still (pun intended) plenty of untaxed alcohol being produced in some parts of the country, often on public land.

Damn those dirty Mexicans!

Quoted: Pot Farms In Arizona National Forests a Growing Problem PHOENIX (AP) Eleven people have been arrested this year in connection with the farms - many of them caught while tending to the plants. All were illegal immigrants roaches from Mexico. Each faces sentences of 10 years to life in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. Authorities said pot gardens have been discovered in Arizona forests since the 1980s, but the frequency and crop size has dramatically increased in recent years. Paul Charlton, the U.S. Attorney for Arizona, said some of the suspected gardeners were armed with assault weapons. Charlton also said federal investigators were tying to find out if the suspects have connections to specific drug cartels in Mexico.

Interesting Ceramic:

Every person arrested this year was a filthy illegal.

Pop crops have increased dramatically since the 1980's...hmmm the infestation of illegals in this country has also increased dramatically since the 1980's.

So not only do the filthy illegals grow pot in this this country which is illegal, they also have weapons which is also illegal for illegals to have and they work for Mexican shitass drug cartels too.

What do you make of all this Ceramic? That worthless illegals are actually hard working and law abiding?

damnit those  pot guards were taking jobs from our  people, we could have had hippies tending to the plants

Quoted: Quoted: Pot Farms In Arizona National Forests a Growing Problem PHOENIX (AP) Eleven people have been arrested this year in connection with the farms - many of them caught while tending to the plants. All were illegal immigrants roaches from Mexico. Each faces sentences of 10 years to life in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. Authorities said pot gardens have been discovered in Arizona forests since the 1980s, but the frequency and crop size has dramatically increased in recent years. Paul Charlton, the U.S. Attorney for Arizona, said some of the suspected gardeners were armed with assault weapons. Charlton also said federal investigators were tying to find out if the suspects have connections to specific drug cartels in Mexico. Interesting Ceramic: Every person arrested this year was a filthy illegal. Pop crops have increased dramatically since the 1980's...hmmm the infestation of illegals in this country has also increased dramatically since the 1980's. So not only do the filthy illegals grow pot in this this country which is illegal, they also have weapons which is also illegal for illegals to have and they work for Mexican shitass drug cartels too. What do you make of all this Ceramic? That worthless illegals are actually hard working and law abiding?

What I take from that is that the drug cartels are moving their business into the United States and that, demographically, it is highly likely that their workers will be Mexicans.   Another reason to move these farms into the US is because its easier to do here due to the restrictions of access on public lands enforced by our .gov permit this due to the unlikely nature of someone driving through.
If they really, really wanted to not get caught they'd do it in one of these fucked up "Wilderness Zones".

I also believe that this is a good indicator of the fact that our government has failed its basic job of protecting the United States borders from not only drug cartels, but the Mexican military itself as well as general illegal immigrant activty too.