Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Tools

KEY News Exclusive: The War on Pot

KEYT Assignment Desk

Story Created: Jul 29, 2010 at 3:28 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 31, 2010 at 6:38 PM PDT

Santa Barbara County - You could call it a "war on pot." Once again the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputies went on an aerial and ground assault to flush out and destroy more marijuana fields.

A KEY News camera crew went up in the Sheriff's helicopter for today's raid. You can watch the full story by clicking on the video.

BACKGROUND: Friday raid in a canyon just below Camino Cielo Road was part of a week-long campaign to wipe out illegal pot grows throughout the County. In all, it is estimates that nearly 80,000 plants were confiscated, with a possible street value of $182 million.

On Thursday, another raid was conducted in a steep canyon on the north side of East Camino Cielo, just above Rancho Oso.

Lt. Sonny LeGault, who is coordinating the raids, tells KEY News the growers are harvesting at different times with a level of sophistication that rarely exists with such operations.

Le Gault says the growers are finding it easier to plant the marijuana here, and smuggle people over the border to tend to the plants, than it is to smuggle the pot across the border.

So far no arrests have been made, but that isn't unusual in cases like these, say authorities. Usually law enforcement just finds the marijuana, and makeshift campsites left behind. Tools, fertilizer, even guns, are often left behind.

As KEY News has reported before, many of the grows in the Tri-Counties have been linked to Mexican Drug Cartels. On Wednesday, one person was arrested near Fillmore after a pursuit in the mountains. The suspect jumped from a cliff while trying to avoid arrest. He later told officers he was smuggled into the country, and that working in the pot fields was a way to pay back "his debt."

Also on Wednesday, several marijuana gardens were raided near Romero Canyon, while two more were destroyed at Romero Saddle and Montecito Peak. On Monday, four more marijuana fields were discovered near a campground by Happy Canyon Road.

Sheriff's officials say they are not done raiding more pot fields. They say they're sure they'll break record numbers by the time this year is through.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Primetime

8.00
wife swap
9.00
primetime: what would you do?
10.00
20/20
11.00
key news