340,000 MARIJUANA PLANTS ERADICATED FROM TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS

Federal, state and local law enforcement officials announced today
that they have seized more than 340,000 marijuana plants from more
than 60 grow sites in eastern Tulare County over the last week.

The plants were seized in a joint operation involving 14 federal,
state and local law enforcement agencies. The raids occurred by air
and foot over the last week and resulted in the arrest of 36 suspects,
and the confiscation of 27 weapons, more than 27 miles of irrigation
hose and nearly 1,900 pounds of fertilizer, officials reported. The
raids occurred on federal land, including Kings Canyon National Park
and Sequoia National Park, and on state and private land, officials
said.

The confiscated plants, 8,000 of which were on display at a press
conference held today at the National Guard Armory in Visalia, had a
street value of $1.4 billion, said Tulare County Sheriff Bill Wittman.

The joint operation will continue another five days, targeting 20
remaining grow sites in eastern Tulare County, said Sheriff Wittman.