SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK – Authorities conducted a major bust at a huge illegal grow site spanning 13 acres in Sequoia National Park.
2,377 full-grown marijuana plants were removed, along with about 2,000 pounds of trash. There was also a semi-automatic pistol and hazardous chemicals, including a highly toxic insecticide that has been banned in the United States since 2009. Authorities also discovered evidence of poaching.
“For almost two decades, well-organized drug-trafficking organizations have been operating large-scale cultivation operations in and around Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks,” said the National Park Service. “These cultivation sites cause major damage to the parks’ natural resources and are a threat to public and staff safety. In the last 20 years, nearly 300,000 plants with a value of almost $850 million have been eradicated in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.”
The National Park Service and special agents from the Bureau of Land Management removed the cultivation site last week. No arrests have been made, but an investigation is underway.
Call the NPS Tip Line at 888-653-0009 with any information.
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