Incident Date: 7-7/10-14

Posted by: Media Relations

ASSOCIATED CASE NUMBERS:
14-60711 Wishon, Springville - Sequoia National Forest
14-60703 Blue Ridge, Springville - Sequoia National Forest
14-60622 Tule River Indian Reservation
14-60693 Case Mountain, Three Rivers - BLM
14-60717 North Tulare County - Sequoia National Forest
14-60712 North Tulare County - Sequoia National Forest

NARRATIVE:

The week of 07/07/14 through 07/11/14, The Tulare County Sheriff’s Department’s STEP Team, The Department of Justice CAMP Team, United States Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife and the National Guard conducted a coordinated marijuana eradication operation in the mountains of Tulare County.

During the five day operation, 46,012 marijuana plants were eradicated and over 7,500 pounds of trash and environmental waste was removed from the forests of Tulare County. Had the marijuana been harvested and illegally sold, it would have been worth an estimated 92 million dollars.

The marijuana had been planted in six (6) individual clandestine grow sites that had been located during reconnaissance overflights of the Giant Sequoia National Monument, Sequoia National Forest, BLM Land and the Tule River Reservation.

The success of the operation was aided by resources provided by the California Department of Justice CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Plantations) Team which provided helicopter support so personnel could be flown into remote areas with steep and difficult terrain more efficiently. The eradicated marijuana and trash was then also removed from the forests by helicopter.