members from Plumas County SWAT Team, USFS Law Enforcement, United States National Guard and PJs Helicopter conducted a Marijuana eradication raid on July 15th in the area of the Moonlight fire near Antelope Lake. The raid team and support staff of approximately 25 personnel recovered approximately 16,500 Marijuana plants. The Marijuana garden was spread out over approximately ½ a mile with four different plots in rugged steep brushy terrain. There was a large amount of trash, fertilizer, chemicals and pesticides located in and around the garden. The characteristics of this garden were consistent with the gardens of large Drug Trafficking Organizations operated by the Mexican Drug Cartel. During entry into the suspects camp by Plumas County Sheriff and USFS Law Enforcement, 1 Hispanic male was encountered. The suspect Jose Luis Barajas Alejandres 32 yoa from Moreli, Michoacan , Mexico fled on foot after several announcements for the suspect to surrender and was pursued on foot by Law Enforcement. Due to the danger of pursuing subjects on foot in a marijuana grow a USFS K9 was deployed. The K9 was able to apprehend one suspect, Jose Luis Barajas Alejandres 32 yoa from Morelia, Michocan, Mexico. During the foot chase and apprehension by the K9 the suspect sustained a broken leg and numerous bite marks while attempting to evade and resist arrest. The suspect was treated at the grow site for his injuries. The suspect was then flown out by USFS Helicopter to Greenville where he was transported by ground ambulance to Plumas District Hospital in Quincy. It is believed based on evidence in the camp that there were a total of 3 suspects tending to the garden. The investigation is ongoing. The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public that Marijuana cultivation possesses a public safety hazard to our community by the efforts these gardeners take to protect their crops, utilizing firearms and booby traps to scare off and sometimes injure the public. In addition these cultivations destroy our public lands and resources by the trash left by the suspects, the mass amounts of fertilizer and pesticides used by the gardeners which can leach into our water shed. Members of the community are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office. Indicators to look for may be drip line, remote campsites, gardening tools, bags of fertilizer or pesticides, trash piles and encounters with unusual subjects on national or private lands. Currently the Sheriff’s Office and USFS have pulled approximately 38,000 plants from USFS lands. MORE MARIJUANA: On 7/15/2015, Plumas County SWAT Team, USFS Law Enforcement, Department of Fish and Wildlife and A&P Helicopter conducted a Marijuana eradication raid in the area of Red Bridge off the Laporte Rd and Fish Creek south of Eureka Ridge. The raid team and support staff of approximately 25 personnel recovered approximately 23,000 marijuana plants from the two gardens combined. There were large amounts of trash, fertilizer, chemicals and pesticides located in and around the garden. The characteristics of this garden were consistent with the gardens of large Drug Trafficking Organizations operated by the Mexican Drug Cartel. No suspects were encountered in the garden at the time of eradication but the investigation is ongoing. No weapons were recovered from these particular gardens, although there have been weapons recov- ered in numerous other gardens throughout the north state. There have been shots fired at the public as well as law enforcement who have encountered the suspects tending to the gardens. Currently the Sheriff’s Office and USFS have pulled approximately 75,000 plants from USFS lands. Two Marijuana garden eradications Date of Release: 7/29/2015 Location of Occurrence: #1 Seneca #2 Gilson Creek near Oakland Camp Agencies: Plumas County SWAT Team, USFS Law Enforcement, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Butte County Sheriff’s SEU and helicopter On 7/29/2015, members from the above listed agencies conducted a marijuana eradication raid in the area of Seneca. The raid team and support staff of approximately 25 personnel recovered approximately 20,000 marijuana plants. There were large amounts of trash, fertilizer, chemicals and pesticides located in and around the garden. The garden was located in rugged steep terrain in the Chips Fire area that burned in 2012. The characteristics of this garden were consistent with the gardens of large Drug Trafficking Organizations operated by the Mexican Drug Cartel. No suspects were encountered in the garden at the time of eradication but the investigation is ongoing. Also on this date, members from the above listed agencies conducted a second marijuana eradication raid in the area of Gilson Creek 1 mile north of Oakland Camp in Quincy. The raid team and support staff of approximately 25 personnel recovered approximately 3,500 marijuana plants. Two suspects were encounter but were able to flee and avoid arrest through the brushy steep terrain. There were large amounts of trash, fertilizer, chemicals and pesticides located in and around the garden. The garden was located in rugged steep terrain in the Mount Hough State Game Refuge. The characteristics of this garden were consistent with the gardens of large Drug Trafficking Organizations operated by the Mexican Drug. The estimated value of the 23,000 plants would be in excess of ten million dollars. The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public that marijuana cultivation possesses a public safety hazard to our community by the efforts these gardeners take to protect their crops, utilizing firearms and booby traps to scare off and sometimes injure the public. In addition these cultivations destroy our public lands and resources by the trash left by the suspects, the mass amounts of fertilizer and pesticides used by the gardeners which can leach into our water shed. Several forest fires have been caused by these growers by use of camp stoves and/or small camp fires. Members of the community are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office. Indicators to look for may be drip line, remote campsites, gardening tools, bags of fertilizer or pesticides, trash piles and encounters with unusual subjects on public or private lands. Currently the Sheriff’s Office and USFS have pulled approximately 98,000 plants from public lands.