THREE MADERA COUNTY POT GARDENS RAIDED

Agents Remove About 2,300 Mature Plants Worth Millions.

MADERA -- This year's marijuana harvest continued Tuesday in eastern
Madera County with county and state agents ripping some 2,300 mature
plants from three mountain gardens.

Madera County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Erica Smith said the
helicopter raiders dropped in on remote gardens in three mountainous
areas: Miami Creek, Lewis Creek and Calvin Crest.

Raiders estimated that the total haul Tuesday of the illegal weed
would be worth nearly $7 million in street sales.

"It's against the law," Madera County Sheriff John Anderson explained
about why the marijuana crop concerns officers. "If we've got
organized crime in Madera County, it's this marijuana operation."

Officers believe that Mexico-based drug cartels reap the profits from
marijuana grown all over California. The air and ground raids are to
eradicate the crop, not make arrests.

Those arrested are just underlings who tend to the crops, Anderson said.

Anderson went along on Tuesday's raids. The helicopter assaults
reminded him of his military days. "They drop you in right there on
the garden," Anderson said.

Raiders are lowered by cable into the gardens. The plants are then
ripped out and lifted in nets to a waiting copter.

The sheriff said that two of last year's seven homicides in Madera
County were connected directly to marijuana cultivation. The raids
will continue, Anderson promised.