SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif- Last week officers spent several days in the back county of Los Padres National Forest eradicating marijuana fields.
One location included a multiple grow operation in the Sierra Madre Road area south west of Cuyama. About 10,500 marijuana plants were found. Another area off of East Camino Cielo yielded over 1,300 plants in various stages of growth, said the sheriff's department.
In total, the operation seized approximately 11,857 mature marijuana plants. The estimated street value of the plants seized totals $29,642,500.00 according to a DEA valuation. Also located was approximately 38 pounds of processed marijuana with an estimated street value of $95,000.
Illegal marijuana operations can be very harmful to the environment. As part of this eradication, trash, tents, tarps and various chemicals to include rat poison was removed from the illegal gardens. Over all they had to remove 2,300 pounds of trash.
No arrests were made during the operations although the camps associated with the marijuana grows were inhabited until just prior to law enforcements' arrival at the locations, said deputies.
