Marijuana garden had street value of $40 million, Monterey
sheriff’s office says
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said they destroyed $40 million worth of marijuana plants found in an isolated part of Fremont Peak State Park.
According to Sgt. Daniel Karamitis of the County of Monterey Marijuana Eradication Team, authorities noticed the marijuana garden while flying over the area in a National Guard helicopter.
“We found approximately 10,000 small marijuana plants in about five different plots in the side of a canyon,” Karamitis said. “These were small plants, so we simply uprooted them and they died.”
No people were found at the scene and no arrests have been made. But a campsite – believed to have been used by the garden’s keepers – was found in the area.
Karamitis said gardens like this are common and often are guarded by armed men.
“We don’t want people who are out enjoying the outdoors to be suddenly confronted by people with assault weapons,” he said.
