THE INFLUENCE OF MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY

Over the past 10 months, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department has
eradicated a record number of marijuana plants throughout the county.
That's nothing new.

What is new is where the pot is being grown and who is growing
it.

Deputy Mark Peterson, who has worked with the Sheriff Department's
Drug Enforcement Unit since 2001, said he's been busy this year.

"I can count on one hand the amount of grows we came across that were
linked to DTOs (drug trafficking organizations) before this year,"
Peterson said.

But this year that changed.

Of the record number of plants eradicated -- 345,000 so far this year
- -- 270,000 are attributed to Mexican drug cartels, Peterson said.

And of the 220 garden sites raided, exactly half have been attributed
to Mexican drug cartels.

So how are authorities able to link the grows to criminal
organizations outside of the country?

"It's not like it's so clean cut where there's a big sign in the
garden saying this marijuana is being grown for a cartel," Peterson
said.

He said it's a combination of factors -- the level of sophistication,
the amount of plants and the kinds of supplies that are used.

Nearly every grow labeled by the Sheriff's Department as being linked
to a drug cartel is grown on either public land or land belonging to
lumber companies. And, the locations are well off the beaten path, in
the most remote areas.

"They're doing their homework and doing their research," Peterson
said.

Every once in a while evidence with a name on it is found and those
names are entered into state and federal law enforcement data bases.

"When the names are run, they have ties to those (cartels)
organizations," Peterson said.

Usually no one is around the grows by the time law enforcement
arrives.

Peterson said seven people arrested this year were found to be in the
country illegally.

Earlier this month a deputy shot and killed Eloy Infante-Toscano, 40,
after he raised a shotgun at the deputy who was checking out a grow on
Pacific Lumber Company land.

The deputy's actions were determined to justified after an initial
investigation.

Infante-Toscano had no ties to the area and his parents live in
Mexico.

Peterson also said that about 20 firearms have been found and
confiscated at the cartel grows.

With harvest season in full swing, the busts and eradications will
likely taper off, but before too long it'll be time to prepare for
next season.

"This is the first year I've seen it like this," Peterson said.