POT WORTH MILLIONS FOUND IN CORNFIELD

PLANADA -- A verdant 100-acre cornfield near Planada containing more
than 20,000 marijuana plants was discovered by investigators with the
Merced Multi-Agency Narcotics Task Force on Friday -- the largest pot
bust to the agency's credit this year.

Bruce Mosqueda, the task force's acting commander, said investigators
took about 12,000 plants from the site of the operation on Friday --
and as many as 12,000 more plants are still believed to be inside of
the cornfield.

With a street value of $4,000 per plant, investigators believe the
total value of the bust could reach $96 million. The remaining plants
inside of the cornfield will be removed today, Mosqueda said.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is still ongoing,
Mosqueda said, adding that the operation is one of the most
sophisticated that he's seen. He said irrigation drip-lines ran
through the field to the marijuana plants, which were strategically
positioned beside each corn stalk.

The operation was probably labor intensive, Mosqueda said, requiring
the efforts of several individuals. Judging from the size of the
plants, he estimated that the operation began sometime in April.

He said the operation is evidence that marijuana growers are becoming
better at keeping their illegal crop hidden.

"The plants were so well hidden that even if you had a helicopter fly
over, you wouldn't be able to see them," Mosqueda said.

Task force investigators found the plants around 10 a.m. after acting
on a tip. They were assisted by officers from the county's
Methamphetamine Enforcement Tracking Team (CMET), Merced Police's
Gang Violence Suppression Unit and the Merced County Sheriff's Department.

Investigators asked the Sun-Star not to publish the specific location
of the operation until all of the marijuana plants have been removed
from the cornfield. Until then, Mosqueda said the cornfield will be
intensely guarded.

"There's still more out here," Mosqueda said.

Other than Friday's pot bust, 17,000 marijuana plants have been
discarded in Merced County this year, Mosqueda said.

About 8,000 plants were discovered off Turlock Road near Snelling
about two weeks ago. The task force also discovered about 1,500 young
marijuana plants hiding in a Le Grand cornfield on July 10.