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Drug Gangs in National Forests

benjaminzero

benjaminzero

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 29, 2009
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Baltimore, MD
#1
Although domestically grown drugs came as no surprise to me, I found this report interesting. Large scale operations on public land, to include National Forests. Some are even booby-trapped with explosives and over-watched by guards with "assault rifles" (I know
tired.gif
). Bummer if you like to stray from trails and get away from the day hiker.

P.S. Take with usual "grain of salt" I rarely trust the accuracy of a single story. But interesting none the less.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35650016/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
 
#2
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

Without saying names, one of SH"s members was involved in that big bust
smile.gif



It is happening -

I should join up with the Port Angeles group here and go long range shooting up in the Olympic Natn'l forest! LOL _ they have a 1k range set up there...maybe we'll get some live targets!
 
#3
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

I have heard from a couple of other hunters from Washington state that they have stumbled across this stuff. They also said they promptly turned around and got out of dodge.
 
#4
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

Big grows were somewhat common in Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. Technology and the 12 year Federal prison manditory sentence for growing in the National Forest has made it not so popular now. Although explosive boobytraps were uncommon I've encountered hanging fish hooks, pits with stakes, toe poppers out of 12ga shells and trip guns.
 
#5
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

When I go groundhog hunting I go into some pretty heavy vegetation around the creeks. I always kept my eyes open for things that seemed out of place. Especially after I learned that raids had been conducted on nearby properties.
 
#7
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hamr56</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have heard from a couple of other hunters from Washington state that they have stumbled across this stuff. They also said they promptly turned around and got out of dodge. </div></div>


I have stumbled on one myself. It makes you pucker, look around, and leave promptly.
 
#9
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WASP7067</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You guys that stumble upon that stuff ever mark GPS coords and report it? Just wondering. </div></div>

I reported the one I found.
 
#11
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

I wonder how much cash and lives we could save every year if we just made it legal and taxed it. Weed has got to be better for you than oxy or vicodin tabs and probably manages pain better to boot. I hurt my back on sunday and I would much rather have some weed than this crap the doc prescribed me. Sure it manages the pain OK, but this cotton mouth is getting ridiculous. i'm going through a half liter of water an hour and I still feel parched.
 
#13
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

This stuff happens all over the country. People growing dope or cooking meth like to do it on someone else's property- public property and large scale commercial forestland are both prime candidates. I have participated in recon trips to spot marijuana patches from the air and ran across them on the ground.

I have also found meth labs in pine plantations in AR. Reporting locations of the AR math labs to local LE resulted in no action. Basically got the "if they stay in that area we just leave them alone" attitude from the locals. Feds took it a little more seriously.

The biggest single threat to wildlife enforcement agents today is remote meth labs.
 
#14
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queequeg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Jr,

Your back pain is just your entrance into the joys of being a real construction worker. What took you so long?

Welcome aboard Architect
laugh.gif


Funny how much you know about the pain reducing affects of "grass".

</div></div>

sorry QQ, but it was a foray into auto mechanics that messed up my back. damn hoist wouldn't line up my lil sister's tranny right while I was trying to put it back in after a clutch job. I decided to incredible hulk it into place by hand. for the record, I don't recommend trying to hold up 150lbs while leaning over a radiator, it wasn't a pleasant experience.

and I do believe I said "it's got to be better". I qualified due to the fact that I've never attempted to relieve PAIN with it before
laugh.gif


I'm sure you "didn't inhale" right?
wink.gif
 
#16
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

According to a special report I saw on, IIRC, CNN about a year ago, stated that the highest quality marijuana grown in the US (and perhaps the world) was in the Blue Ridge Mountains on public land.

John
 
#17
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

When I went through the academy, 1991, the drug growers were using a small square box with a 12 guage buckshot or birdshot round - you step on the box, puts pressure on the slug, pushes it into a sharp nail, kaboom - instant land mine.

Saw a few of them that had been recovered - pretty scary stuff - getting out of dodge is the right thing to do.
 
#18
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jrob300</div><div class="ubbcode-body">According to a special report I saw on, IIRC, CNN about a year ago, stated that the highest quality marijuana grown in the US (and perhaps the world) was in the Blue Ridge Mountains on public land.

John </div></div>

BC Bud...
 
#20
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ArcticLight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">... using a small square box with a 12 guage buckshot or birdshot round </div></div>

Plumbing pipe, pipe cap, nail, spring and 12 ga shell was method of choice here... also used to make spring gun booby traps to afix to trees with fishing line trip wire.
 
#21
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

This happened in my neck of the woods:

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">"A common thread running through testimony given by 17 suspects arrested for illegal cultivation of marijuana in the Tonto National Forest is that they are working off smuggling debts.

<span style="font-style: italic">"That's what they tell us, they are trying to pay off debts for being smuggled across the border,"</span> a Payson-based Gila County Narcotics Task Force agent said."

<span style="font-style: italic">"Some are taken out of stash houses and sent into the forests to work the (marijuana) grows."</span>
</div></div>

THE FULL STORY: Pot Cultivators Turn Out To Be Illegal Aliens

<span style="font-weight: bold">This part is pretty good:</span>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">"The four arrested during the... raid -- <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus Castillo-Malendrez,</span> <span style="font-weight: bold">Gerardo Manzo-Pulido, Oscar Nunez-Medina</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold">David Valencia-Gonzalez</span> -- had their initial appearances Aug. 16, and preliminary hearings Aug. 18, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Aspey in Flagstaff. They are being held in Coconino County Jail.

Payson-area undercover task force agents who asked not to be identified, said that during weeks of surveillance the four suspects were observed tending the marijuana plants.

Agents said <span style="font-weight: bold">Nunez-Medina</span> carried what appeared to be an <span style="font-weight: bold">assault rifle</span> slung over his shoulder and <span style="font-weight: bold">Manzo-Pulido</span> had a pistol, but no ammunition.

Two of the suspects told officers they were working for money, another said he was paying off his passage across the border into the United States, and the fourth said he was camping with friends.
</div></div>
<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Dog Apprehends, Injures Suspect</span></span>

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">According to agents, at the onset of the bust, Gonzalez tried to escape and was taken down by a canine officer.

<span style="font-style: italic">"He was told to stop in Spanish several times, but didn't,"</span> the agent said. <span style="font-style: italic">"The dog chewed him up pretty good."</span>

Among those from the Pine-Strawberry Fire Department dispatched to treat the suspect was EMT Stacy Parkerson.

<span style="font-weight: bold">"(The suspect) had multiple bites on his legs and arms. The bites caused loss of blood and deep-muscle tissue damage. They will need to call a special surgeon to handle his injuries because the bites go deep and pulled the muscle from the bone, it looks very scary. After seeing that, I would never want to face one of those dogs."</span>

A U.S. Forest Service employee who was called in to help burn the marijuana, said <span style="font-weight: bold">"the dog just tore off parts of his arm and leg."</span>

The suspect was transported to Payson Regional Medical Center, held overnight and released for his Flagstaff court appearance.</div></div>
 
#22
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

My day job keeps me in the woods for private land owners and institutional investors from GA to MN. Between Atlanta and 'Nooga there is a fair amount. Between 'Nooga and Crossville, TN/Knoxville, TN is an insane amount. The Crossville crowd is pretty interesting. I think the unemployment rate within 1 mile of the properties I work is 90%, people are always around. Lots of the young pine plantations get burned under the guise of pissed off hunters but I think its for site prep, lots of sunlight and the forestry commission plows a firebreak (4 wheeler trail)for free. Between Charlotte,NC and Columbia,SC on I 77 is getting worse. Haven't found much in south GA. Thought the growing season in MN was too short but sounds like I may need to pay closer attention. So far I've found lots of buckets, coolers and kiddee pools growing plants. Found a few cultivated patches, largest was a couple of acres. Not much in the way of traps but I tend not to explore after things get suspicious.
 
#24
Re: Drug Gangs in National Forests

Gotta invent a selective Agent Orange (respects to those from the past, ) type thing.

One that just goes after the weed, and the weed growers. I know it can't actually exist, but it sure would be nice, eh?
 
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