97 arrested in sweep targeting pot growers SacramentoBee / 07/30.2010 FRESNO — Nearly 100 people have been arrested in an ongoing sweep of marijuana-growing operations that has netted more than $1.7 billion worth of pot in the Sierra Nevada, federal and state agents said Thursday. Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said several Mexican drug cartels were involved in the grow operations and that most of the 97 people arrested are Mexican nationals. Agents were combing tracts of public land in remote stretches of Fresno, Madera and Tulare counties. "Tremendous devastation has been done and continues to be done by these industrial-sized grows," said Gil Kerlikowske, who directs the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy and was in Fresno on Thursday to support the raid. "I think when people see what these marijuana grows do to their land, it makes a huge difference." About 450 agents have destroyed more than 432,000 marijuana plants during the three-week sweep, which ends today, Kerlikowske said. Still, according to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration statistics, that accounts for a small percentage of the pot typically seized in California each year. Eastern District of California U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said federal prosecutors were taking a more aggressive enforcement tack this year and charging those arrested in the bust with everything from criminal immigration offenses to conspiracy to distribute marijuana to depredation to public lands. Officials said more arrests were pending. I knew they would make a big push this year and it isn't over yet. The drug warriors are going all out,trying to prove to America that they are worth their $15 billion budget. The fertilizers and chemicals found at the grows are the same ones that gardeners use all over the world and only toxic if not mixed properly. Just more lies to make them look good.
I'm not trying to defend the cops by saying what they did was right but in the article it does say that most of these grows were run by Mexican drug cartels. I don't see the problem with them bringing gangs like those down, further weakening their business. It is true that there is a better way in handling it which is full legalization but until that happens there is a need to do something. You live in Texas so you can understand the dangers of Mexican cartels. Those hombres are loco man. I do agree though that they are just grabbing at straws when they try to say that the land will be affected by these grow operations.