MARIJUANA ERADICATION

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department's annual marijuana
eradication effort has begun with the assistance of agents from the
U.S. Department of Justice Campaign Against Marijuana Production task
force, and the National Forest Service, according to a statement
released by the department. About 35 law enforcement personnel
participated in the destruction of 12 marijuana crops.

A total of nearly 35,000 mature marijuana plants were uprooted in
three separate locations, all within the Los Padres National Forest.
The two largest grows were in the Juncal Dam area, three more in the
wilderness area west of Cachuma Lake, and four grow areas in the Bear
Canyon area. According to officials at the Drug Enforcement Agency
(DEA) the street value of the crop was nearly $87.5 million.

Although no arrests were made at the remote locations, evidence
seized there provided information that pointed to the involvement of
Mexican nationals. The statement from the sheriff's department noted
that "Mexican nationals have had an increased presence in illegal
marijuana cultivation in the United States."

The official statement went on to say that the illegal operations
threaten the safety of residents and visitors to the National Forest.
Grow operations are known to have been booby-trapped and sometimes
guarded by growers armed with high-power rifles and automatic weapons.

Visitors to the National Forest are reminded to call authorities if
unusual activities are witnessed including people carrying irrigation
tubing, packing in large amounts of food, or the same vehicle parked
in the same place multiple times per week.