Eradicating a natural plant is a key focus tax dollars are spent on in a state that has a medical program in place that asks the medicine not be destroyed, but rather researched on and given to qualified patients.
The DEA San Diego Field Division’s Narcotics Task Force (NTF) along with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and Health Advocates Rejecting Marijuana, (HARM) announce the total amount of illegal marijuana plants seized in San Diego County in 2010.
During calendar year 2010, NTF and our law enforcement partners seized over 378,243 marijuana plants from 165 separate grow locations – 89 outdoor sites and 76 indoor locations. At these locations, the investigators seized trafficker assets valued at approximately $700,000.00 dollars. 118 subjects were arrested in connection with these operations.
Of additional significance is the fact that over 294,175 of these plants were removed from our public lands. That includes both U.S. Forest Service lands and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. DEA/NTF will continue to intensify their efforts in this area and work with our National Guard, BLM, and US Forest Service partners and to halt the extensive environmental damage that these grows cause and to ensure that our public lands remain safe.
“DEA/NTF has a dedicated team, led by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, whose purpose is solely to conduct marijuana eradication operations in San Diego County,” says DEA San Diego Special Agent in Charge Ralph W. Partridge. DEA/NTF and all our local, state and federal law enforcement partners are dedicated to keeping this dangerous drug off the streets of San Diego”.
