cannabisnews.com: Pot Sites Pose a Growing Danger Pot Sites Pose a Growing Danger Posted by CN Staff on July 18, 2002 at 17:38:27 PT By Kerri Ginis, The Fresno Bee Source: Fresno Bee As growers fertilize and manicure thousands of marijuana plants for harvest, sheriff's deputies are scouring remote areas of the Valley where they typically find large, booby-trapped gardens.The season for growing marijuana runs from April through October and it's already proving busy and dangerous. Marijuana gardens have turned into more sophisticated and potentially deadly operations than the small backyard farms of the past. "We've seen a change from the lower-threat level to an extremely dangerous situation," said Lt. Donna Perry of the Tulare County Sheriff's Department. "Times have changed. What we face now are very sophisticated operations."Tulare County authorities have made two major busts since June; late Saturday, deputies killed a Visalia man after he shot at them near one garden.Law-enforcement agencies throughout the Valley are conducting flyovers and other surveillance to track down the largest gardens that are usually hidden in remote areas. Later this summer, they will begin raids on the properties where they hope to seize thousands of budding plants.Many will join forces with teams of state narcotics agents who bust large marijuana operations every year. Agents with the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP, eradicated more than 300,000 plants in 57 of the 58 counties last year. San Francisco is the only county that doesn't participate because it doesn't have rural areas where marijuana can grow.CAMP's efforts last year helped rid Tulare County of 11,091 plants, Fresno County of 5,527 plants and Madera County of 2,114 plants.That's in addition to the number of plants seized by local authorities. Fresno County estimates it seized 40,000 plants last year, and Madera County estimates it seized 3,000 plants. Tulare County officials said they seized 23,170 plants last year.Despite these successes, many sheriff's officials said it's becoming more dangerous when they attempt to bust the larger gardens."Every year in the Valley, unfortunately, it's not uncommon to have shootouts in these gardens," said Lt. Robert Hagler, who is in charge of the Fresno County Sheriff's Department Narcotics Unit. "The growers are very protective. Most of them are armed. We've had to call in the SWAT teams to go in and secure the campsite before the narcotic units come in and destroy the plants."In eastern Fresno County, three U.S. Forest Service officers were shot at two years ago when they busted a marijuana garden off Highway 180, Hagler said.Madera County sheriff's deputies killed a 19-year-old man from Mexico in August 2000 after he fired shots at them during a raid of a large garden east of Ahwahnee.The sophisticated gardens are typically run by Mexican cartels. They're springing up across the state and rapidly moving from the Valley into Los Angeles County, said Sonya Arriaga Barna, CAMP operations commander.When CAMP formed in 1982, agents encountered mostly smaller operations run by hippies. The highest concentrations of gardens were found in the northern part of the state. Most of the marijuana production occurred in three counties -- Mendocino, Trinity and Humboldt -- dubbed the "emerald triangle."That changed in the late 1990s, when Mexican cartels started getting into the pot business. They found more remote areas to grow the plants and located many of their gardens in the Valley because of its proximity to Mexico, Arriaga Barna said.The cartels bring in Mexican nationals to live and work in the gardens during the season. They tend to the plants and prepare them for harvest, which typically occurs in September and October. The marijuana business can prove to be very lucrative, with some plants selling at wholesale for $4,000 each."The plants need a lot of care," Arriaga Barna said. "It's not something you can plant and walk away from."It's not unusual, officials said, to find men dressed in camouflage, armed with automatic weapons, standing watch outside a garden. They set booby traps that include fish hooks and lures strategically hung at eye level to harm unsuspecting trespassers.Sometimes those unsuspecting trespassers are hunters, and it's common for them to spot gardens, Arriaga Barna said.Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/3621708p-4647672c.htmlSource: Fresno Bee, The (CA)Author: Kerri Ginis, The Fresno BeePublished: July 18, 2002Copyright: 2002 The Fresno BeeContact: letters fresnobee.comWebsite: http://www.fresnobee.com/Related Articles: How Green is The Crop?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11568.shtmlPatton of Pot - 60 Minutes IIhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8656.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #19 posted by legalizeit on July 19, 2002 at 13:06:51 PT Lost in Space Robot For the curious... The original robot is on display every May at the county fair in Victorville, CA. The guy displays hundreds of other props that he created (and continues to create) during his long career with Hollywood. It is one of the most fascinating exhibits I've seen at a fair.Speaking of robots... maybe the growers ought to place robots at their gardens... preferably ones that speak with a Mexican accent... and are programmed to shoot their disintegrating rays on sight if they detect a CAMP officer approaching the garden. At least no humans would die, humans with consciences that is.It's interesting how Ms. Barna has become Ms. Arriaga Barna. I don't know about 'Barna', but 'Arriaga' is a Spanish/Mexican surname. I wonder how she feels about being responsible for the killing of her fellow countrymen. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by dimebag on July 19, 2002 at 10:09:51 PT Simple Solution Occams Razor: In any given situation, the most obviouse answer is the correct one..Meaning that if you have been looking for the answer to solve the 80yrs Prohibition of Marijuana, then look no further than in front of your face. Its everywhere, in your coffe shops, at the movie theaters, in law offices. Millions of People smoke marijuana daily in the U.S, are you willing to put all theese people in jail and wast the courts time. Is it worth that much. The simplest solution would be to END CANNABIS PROHIBITION.Thanks,Dimebag. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by kaptinemo on July 19, 2002 at 09:09:33 PT: Evolutionary pressures Stress an organism, and it develops a means of defending itself.Whether it's a single organism or a complex one, it happens every time. Stress it just enough, and voila! it starts to evolve. In the case of criminal organizations, stress it enough...and it fights back."When CAMP formed in 1982, agents encountered mostly smaller operations run by hippies. Yes, generally peaceable, treehugging longhairs that probably never harmed a soul in their lives. But because said longhairs were unarmed 'undesirarables', the police easily moved in on them...leaving the stage clear for the rise of aggressive growers with heavy underworld connections.You should never cut into a cancer tumor, as the poisonous cells tend to scatter and grow, increasing the danger. You'd think with so many analogies to the cancer metaphor being thrown around, the antis would have tumbled to that one. But evidently not; they refuse to make the logical conclusion as to the effectiveness of their actions. they've carelessly macheted a cancer tumor...and now cells from it are metastisizing. They stressed the environment...and now the environment is stressing them back. With high velocity semi-jacketed heavy metal particles.And the sad truth is, none of it had to happen...and all of it was so stupidly predictable. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by BGreen on July 19, 2002 at 08:43:27 PT Viacom owns MTV and the following businesses Viacom owns:Broadcast TV: CBS, Paramount, and UPN Television, along with 34 stations throughout the country.Motion Pictures: Paramount Pictures and Paramount Home Entertainment.Cable TV: MTV; MTV2; Nickelodeon; BET (Black Entertainment Television;) Nick at Nite; TV Land; Noggin; VH1; TNN; CMT; Comedy Central; Showtime; The Movie Channel; FLIX; and the Sundance Channel.Radio and Outdoor: Infinity (One of the largest radio broadcasting and outdoor advertising companies in the U.S.)Retail and Recreation: Blockbuster Video; Paramount Theme Parks (Paramount’s Kings Island (Cincinnati); Paramount’s Kings Dominion (Richmond); Paramount’s Great America (Santa Clara); Paramount’s Carowinds (Charlotte); Paramount Canada’s Wonderland (Toronto),) and The Famous Players and United Cinemas International chains.Publishing, Online & More: Viacom Interactive Ventures; Simon & Schuster; MTV.com, VH1.com & Nickelodeon.com; CBS.com and CBSNews.com; Viacom Consumer Products; and Famous Music (music publishers with a catalog of over 100,000 copyrights.) Welcome To Viacom [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by John Tyler on July 19, 2002 at 08:29:03 PT Growers I read somwhere a while back that some growers leave clues at their garden camp sites for the cops to find:like empty tortilla chip bags and cheap radios tuned to Spanish radio stations. The cops find these and think, Mexicans. This is serious. We need a bigger budget. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by goneposthole on July 19, 2002 at 07:26:12 PT Thanks Ich vergesse. I can't possibly remember everything.Robot- I'll remember now. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by 2Spooky on July 19, 2002 at 07:09:42 PT Robot The robot's name was "Robot" =) [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by dddd on July 19, 2002 at 07:01:34 PT ...goneposthole... ....I am honored and proud to be quoted....especially such a negative and bitter thing like "humans suck"...Thank you goneposthole! I dont think that robot had an actual name other than,"robot".....I always liked the title of the show... "Lost in Space"... I have been there,,and I plan to return. ..I agree,,,MTV...in the beginning it was not that bad...Years ago,I was in a New Wave band,and MTV played our video for a couple of weeks...I was thrilled!.......nowdays,,that would never happen.....MTV sucks Bigtime!...dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by goneposthole on July 19, 2002 at 06:34:27 PT danger- danger- danger Remember the TV series "Lost In Space"? "No, I completely forgot all about it," I guess would be the appropriate answer.What the heck was that robot's name again?Those Mexican growers need one of those robots.I worked with Mexican migrant workers in my younger days. At lunch time I didn't have much to eat, so they fed me some of their food. It was more like Mom's home cooking than Taco Bell. It was good.If the gov would just leave the plant alone... oh forget it; they wouldn't have anything else to do. One of those plants on the "White List".In the beginning years of MTV, it was great; now it sucks and sucks some more. In fact, watching Tv is bad for you.As dddd wrote here on Cannabis News after the 9/11 attack, "humans suck". You are right,dddd, but not all of them; just the ones that do.Life is just a sh*t sandwich, and everyday you take another bite. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by qqqq on July 19, 2002 at 05:29:28 PT ...MTV.... ...now who do you suppose owns and controls MTV?...some freelance independent outfit with Bono,and Willy Nelson on the board of directors??....nope,,I am pretty sure MTV is owned by one of the six or so mega-bogart-monopoly media behemoth corporations.These are the ones who have successfully bought the "publicly owned" airwaves from your represenative government.....Instead of millions in "rent",being pad to the public,who supposedly owns the airwaves,,hundreds of millions are given away,in the collusive relationship between our ruling entities,and these corporate media giants.......MTV is probably owned by Disney,,or AOL/TimeWarner.. ...watch,,as the stock market continues to meltdown........ ..."I'm sorry son,,but your moneys gone."...Superfly [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by cltrldmg on July 19, 2002 at 04:47:08 PT This is getting crazy I was watching MTV, they're having this Eminem weekend and apparently they now think they have to censor the word "weed". Jesus Christ, is weed now a bad word? Something you don't want kids or sensitive individuals to hear, or that's morally unacceptable to use in polite conversation. This is not a positive sign. And on MTV too. How hypocritical can you get? [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by E_Johnson on July 18, 2002 at 22:41:13 PT Yeah farmers always fertilize during a harvest As growers fertilize and manicure thousands of marijuana plants for harvestIn Fresno a reporter can get away with saying that farmers fertilize during a harvest?Sheesh! [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Sam Adams on July 18, 2002 at 22:16:24 PT Doesn't get any clearer than this.... "When CAMP formed in 1982, agents encountered mostly smaller operations run by hippies. The highest concentrations of gardens were found in the northern part of the state. Most of the marijuana production occurred in three counties -- Mendocino, Trinity and Humboldt -- dubbed the "emerald triangle."That changed in the late 1990s, when Mexican cartels started getting into the pot business. "There you have it.....these 2 paragraphs scream the truth! CAMP caused more violent criminals to move in from Mexico. A classic example of doublethink in action. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on July 18, 2002 at 20:06:38 PT JR I Agree It is very sad and so unnecessary. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on July 18, 2002 at 20:01:36 PT Sad, really... That's three more people killed by prohibition right there than the plant has killed in all of recorded history! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 18, 2002 at 19:19:46 PT Related Article About Marijuana Eradication 3 N.C. Officers Killed in Plane CrashSource: Charlotte Observer Author: Mekissa Manware, Staff Writer Published: Thursday, July 18, 2002 An off-duty Charlotte-Mecklenburg police sergeant and two other law enforcement officers were killed Wednesday during an air search for marijuana in Eastern North Carolina.Sgt. Anthony Scott Futrell, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police veteran, was flying a single-engine plane when it crashed in Chowan County -- 240 miles northeast of Charlotte -- at about 3:30 p.m., authorities said. Complete Article: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/3684834.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by culebra on July 18, 2002 at 19:12:01 PT Oh those dreadful Mexicans! I often wonder how much paranoia is instilled in Mr. and Mrs. Jones by this garbage. It seems we have come full circle in our war on plants, now that we are back to blaming those nefarious brown people for our "problems". Hmmm...maybe if there weren't such astronomical profits to protect, the nature of protection would be less dangerous. Preaching to the choir, I know, but please. The most astounding figure of all is the fact that these lazy fools eradicate perhaps 10% of all outdoor gardens...and at a cost of merely millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Sonya and Joyce should get together and go bowling...or twist the heads off of little kittens...or whatever it is they do for "fun". [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Robbie on July 18, 2002 at 18:51:50 PT Maybe someone should say to Ms. Ginis... LEAVE CANNABIS ALONE AND THERE WON'T BE ANY BOOBY TRAPS! We would still have boobs like you!Go see Reefer Madness for a more intelligent perspective, and please avail yourself, because you could use it.Maybe she uses it to come up with this screed.Someone give that woman an anti-viral for the insidious ON-DEA propaganda coarsing through her veins. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by freedom fighter on July 18, 2002 at 18:30:58 PT Same ole story every year No one to blame but yourself Ms. Barna!And thanks for the price support!ff [ Post Comment ] Post Comment