# Largest oudoor marijuana grow operation in Oregon to-date busted



## FruityBud (Jun 18, 2011)

A multi-agency investigation this week led to the arrest of six suspects at a remote northeast Oregon outdoor marijuana grow site early Wednesday morning. The discovery is believed to be the largest outdoor marijuana grow to date in Oregon. The investigation and arrests are leading Oregon law enforcement officials to urge citizens to be on the lookout for indications of illegal marijuana growing this summer while outdoors, and to immediately notify law enforcement officials if you come across suspicious activity or an area where an illegal grow site may be.

The investigation started this spring when a group of bear hunters came upon the grow site and reported it to local law enforcement. On June 15, 2011 a multi-agency team, assisted by the Oregon State Police (OSP) SWAT team and air support from the Oregon Army National Guard, served a search warrant on U.S. Forest Service public lands in a remote section of northern Wallowa County. When officers raided the site, six suspects were taken into custody and investigators got a good look at the size, magnitude and potential environmental damage related to the grow operation that had been ongoing for a substantial period.

Wallowa County Sheriff Fred Steen is urging the public to be very careful this summer while recreating outdoors, hunting, fishing, and camping because of the potential problems they may encounter while unexpectedly coming upon a potential grow site and those people involved with the illegal activity. In the past, people arrested at many outdoor grow sites have been armed with weapons to protect themselves from police and others.

"The resources, time and effort these outdoor growers are committing to avoid detection and protect the site pose a significant risk and danger to the public and law enforcement officers," said Steen.

La Grande Police Sergeant John Shaul, team supervisor of the Union/Wallowa County Drug Team, described the outdoor grow as "staggering", encompassing a stretch over one mile in a ravine where growers disrupted the natural terrain with extensive terracing. Over 91,000 plants ranging in size from starter plants to 10 inches were eradicated over a two day period. The plants were concealed in several separate pods developed by removing trees and underbrush to camouflage the grow site, and "miles" of plastic irrigation tubing was also found. Due to the ongoing investigation the exact location of the site is not be released at this time.

"Many people would be outraged at the damage to our public lands caused by illegal marijuana growers," said Shaul.

Investigators found campsites and numerous weapons, including semi-automatic long barrel firearms and handguns. Food, water and other supplies were found at campsites that could sustain the growers for several weeks.

Steen pointed out the potential public safety problems and the dangers associated with chemicals and pesticides used to grow illegal marijuana. In some cases, environmental and natural resource damage is caused by stream diversions, vegetation damage, trash, pollution, and the use of herbicides and pesticides.

"An extensive amount of trash including tubing, plastic planter containers, herbicide and other toxic chemicals were dumped along a river's edge," said Steen.

The United States Forest Service, with the assistance of the OSP Fish & Wildlife Division, is going to survey the site to determine the magnitude of environmental damage, needed resources to clean up the site, and how to rehabilitate the altered terrain.

Arrested and lodged at the Union County Jail related to this investigation were:

* ARTURO B. BARRERA, age 26
* FEDERICO R. CARRASCO, age 24
* CHRISTIAN R. GONZALEZ, age 28
* FREDY F. MONTES, age 32
* JESUS A. SANCHEZ, age 21
* AUDEL C. SOTO, age 29

Investigators have not confirmed yet where the men are from. They are all currently held on charges of Unlawful Manufacture and Possession of Marijuana. The criminal investigation is ongoing, to include possible charges related to environmental crimes.

Law enforcement officials believe it is critical for the public be aware of the potential dangers and signs related to suspected outdoor marijuana grow sites. People are urged to pay attention and be aware of possible signs of illegal outdoor marijuana growing activity including:

* Seeing vehicles and people in unusual locations, at odd hours, or dropping off or picking up people in remote areas
* Coming across a vehicle or person with an unusual supply of camping equipment or other items such as fertilizer, PVC pipe, irrigation hoses, small plastic planters, propane tanks, tents or tarps and gardening tools
* Unexpected encounters with people armed with firearms outside of hunting season or non-traditional hunting areas
* Finding fish kills in streams or large amounts of garbage in a remote area with empty bags of fertilizer or other chemicals, piping, plastic planters, and camping equipment
* Seeing people in remote areas starting to landscape or clearing land
* Noticing foot paths or trails that seem heavily used in non-traditional hiking or trail areas

*hxxp://tinyurl.com/6z5rl4d*


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## AlkaloidContent (Jun 18, 2011)

Yea so growing a plant outdoors is causing environmental damage. However I dont care much for these large grow ops, even if its just a bunch of silly kids, these ops cause alot of negative attention for the rest of us. Then again the bigger fish keeps all of us under the radar.


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## SKAGITMAGIC (Jul 3, 2011)

AlkaloidContent said:
			
		

> Yea so growing a plant outdoors is causing environmental damage. However I dont care much for these large grow ops, even if its just a bunch of silly kids, these ops cause alot of negative attention for the rest of us. Then again the bigger fish keeps all of us under the radar.


  It's a different time man, them silly kids would kill you, by the names printed there's chances they are not even Oregon residents, ya those silly kids would probably hurt u bad protecting the work involveing that many plants,


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## SunWolf (Jul 3, 2011)

AlkaloidContent said:
			
		

> *Yea so growing a plant outdoors is causing environmental damage.* However I dont care much for these large grow ops, even if its just a bunch of silly kids, these ops cause alot of negative attention for the rest of us. Then again the bigger fish keeps all of us under the radar.



It's not the "growing" that causes the damage, it's all the redirecting of water sources, digging up native plants to make room for the MJ, creating terraces on the side of hills, pouring on the chemical ferts and pesticides, and leaving all the resultant trash to pollute the environment and water ways.

Don't be such a smart ***.  

Edit:  Sorry for such a tough post, but I get so tired of all the ignorant people out there, and I really respond badly when it comes from someone who should know better.


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## niteshft (Jul 3, 2011)

I would never condone that kind of planting and never using deadly force but the government needs to take blame for that kind of activity to happen in the first place. Legalizing mj would nip that kind of activity in the bud (not a pun), the harm of mmj being illegal is way greater than if it were legalized.


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