OFFICIALS MAKE LARGEST MARIJUANA CROP BUST IN ARIZONA HISTORY

State, county and federal law enforcement officers seized a network of
marijuana crop fields containing an estimated 10,000 plants Monday in one
of the largest growing operations ever found in Arizona.

Officers from the Gila County Task Force, Arizona Department of Public
Safety, U.S. Forest Service and Gila County Sheriff's Office raided the
marijuana fields located in Calf Pen Canyon, located 4 miles north of
Strawberry in the Coconino National Forest.

Some suspects escape

During the raid, four male Mexican nationals suspected of cultivating the
crops were apprehended. Other suspects fled into the forest and are still
at large. Canine units were used in the raid and continue to assist in the
ongoing search for suspects.

Lt. Steve Craig of the Gila County Narcotics Task Force said that while
this is a large bust, it is not the largest in U.S. history as reported by
some media outlets. There have been larger marijuana fields discovered on
the East Coast and in the South, Craig said.

Officers from the combined agencies are in the canyon harvesting the
marijuana crops. The plants are being hauled out of the canyon by a DPS
ranger helicopter with a tethered cargo net. After being flown out of the
canyon, the crops are lowered to awaiting forest service personnel who
unload the cargo nets and throw the marijuana into a bonfire.

Officials estimate that the crops were planted in late spring -- possibly
late April or early May. Some plants have grown to 6 feet tall.

Harvesting and burning operations are expected to continue until late Friday.

Reports out of the canyon indicate that the growing operation is not a
single unit like a cornfield, but rather patches of smaller marijuana fields.

Sheriff canine injures fleeing suspect

One of the captured suspects was seriously injured when he fled from
officers in an attempt to escape and was overtaken by a sheriff's dog.

"We were dispatched out to Cinch Hook snow play area to treat a victim who
received multiple dog bites," said Stacy Parkerson, EMT and public
information officer for the Pine-Strawberry Fire Department. "When we first
arrived it was very hush-hush. Once we were on scene (task force officers)
told us it was one of the men fleeing during the drug bust. The dog got him
pretty good. He 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 in deep and
pulled the muscle from the bone. It looked very scary. After seeing that, I
would never want to face one of those dogs. I mean, we've been called to
treat dog bites around here from neighborhood dogs, but if we hadn't know
his injuries were caused by a canine, we never would have recognized it."

The injured suspect, a 25-year-old Mexican national, was brought to
awaiting Pine-Strawberry medical personnel by helicopter.

"He had been running for several hours," Parkerson said. "He was in an area
where it was too hard to get to him, so they dropped a DPS paramedic down
to him and hooked him up to a harness and long-hauled him out. They brought
him to us at Cinch Hook."

After treating the wound and starting an IV, the suspect was transported by
ambulance to the hospital.

A press conference detailing the eradication effort is scheduled for 9:30
a.m. Thursday at the U.S. Attorney's offices in Phoenix. During the press
conference, combined-agency representatives will discuss updated details on
federal charges filed against individuals arrested in connection with
Monday's raid. Officials say they will also reveal information about other
marijuana fields recently discovered in the Tonto National Forest.