AUTHORITIES SEIZE DOZENS OF MARIJUANA PLANTS

Local law enforcement agents destroyed thousands of marijuana plants last week,
conducting three drug busts in the nearby hillsides and other parts of the
county.

Crews from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with an
organization called the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, spent hours
walking through dense forestry on Aug. 25 and 26, destroying thousands of
close-to-mature marijuana plants in the secluded hillsides of Saratoga, Los
Gatos and the eastern portion of Santa Clara County.

The two-day operation yielded a grand total of more than 6,000 plants ranging
from four to 7-1/2 feet. According to marijuana-detection expert and helicopter
pilot, Barry Cozart, "The plants were three weeks to a month away from being
fully harvested."

The first eradication took place in an undisclosed location in the eastern part
of the county, where 2,965 plants spanning across four to five acres of land
were uprooted and transported for destruction. The plants at this site had a
street value of approximately $2.5 million, according to Deputy Terrance Helm,
the public information officer with Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.
Suspects fled the area the day before the eradication after running into
officers. An arrest is still pending.

The second operation took place in the widely used Sanborn Park off Highway 9
in Saratoga. Officers went to the site with the intent to arrest two suspects,
but the individuals fled the scene before crews arrived. What was left at the
abandoned location were partially destroyed plants that were two weeks away
from maturity. From early morning to mid-afternoon, teams destroyed close to
1,000 plants.

On the same day, crews labored in the county-owned hillside near Bald Mountain
in the Sierra Azule Preserve, cutting down 2,184 plants that were scattered in
different areas.

Cozart said marijuana growers typically plant in different locations so that
the plants would not be easy to find. On average, gardens range from 2,000 to
4,000 plants.

In addition, crews found evidence of suspects camping in the area. Based on the
size of the camping equipment-tents, tortilla makers, sleeping bags, barbecue
grills and a water buffalo for the plants-Cozart said he estimates no more than
four individuals were camping in the area.

"It's obvious that the suspects put a lot of time and effort in choosing a
place to grow the plants," Helm said.

There is no evidence so far that shows the farms are related.

"The only thing in common is that the suspects-the drug lords-want a lot of
money," Helm said.

Cozart said Saratoga and Los Gatos are not typical places to find marijuana
farms due to dense populations and more affluent communities, but Helm added
that he would not be surprised to find one because of the type of terrain these
areas have.

He added that the market is big enough in neighboring cities that there is no
need to sell out of state.

Authorities did not reveal information about the exact means of destruction of
the plants, but they did say it would either be burned or buried in an
undisclosed location.

The marijuana-growing season begins in April and continues through September,
according to Cozart. It also can go through October in areas with an elevation
level of less than 4,000 feet.