The marijuana plants are easily distinguishable by air because of their distinctive, brighter green color (Photo courtesy of NewsChopper 16)
Posted on 08/17/2005 8:27:22 PM PDT by freepatriot32
LaPorte County, IN - About 3,000 to 5,000 marijuana plants, some the size of Christmas trees, have been found about a half mile north of State Road 4 between 600 and 700 East in LaPorte County, just west of Fish Lake.
Officials are calling it the largest outdoor marijuana bust in Indiana since the 1980s.
The plants are growing in three to five clusters, hidden on the ground in a two-acre plot full of trees.
Police discovered the hidden plants over a week ago but it wasn’t until yesterday that they decided to bust up the drug ring.
Police say they found several suspects in the field yesterday and arrested 49-year-old Chicago man, Patricio Bautista. He faces federal drug charges.
Several other suspects were able to hide in the marijuana clusters, eluding the authorities. Authorities then found a nearby farmhouse, which they believe is tied to the marijuana growing operation.
Today, when police went back to harvest the marijuana, they discovered the suspects had returned to the field.
First Sgt. Mike Crabtree of the Indiana State Police marijuana team says, “We had strong evidence. We already have the evidence that these suspects were armed, in the marijuana plot with 5,000 plants and potentially $10 million worth of marijuana. There was a potential for violence.”
Police captured additional suspects Wednesday morning. Their names have not been released.
The suspects in the case will face federal charges.
Marijuana plant removal Heavy equipment had to be brought in to remove the marijuana clusters. After officers cut down the plants, they were carried away by US Coast Guard helicopter and then trucked away by the Indiana State Highway department.
The marijuana plants are easily distinguishable by air because of their distinctive, brighter green color (Photo courtesy of NewsChopper 16)
Our War on Drugs ravaging my taxpayor wallet!
Wow...do I feel safe now. ( Uh, and the southern Borders?)
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
The idiots! I told them to use the camo netting. Well, there goes this years profits.
I was listening to this today, and it struck me....
Why are they spending probably hundreds of thousands of dollars FLYING this stuff out, to just pile it up and burn it somewhere else?
ping
Yeah right isnt that the biggest waste of taxpayer money youve ever heard of
I thought this was going to say that AOL made a marijuana bust, and I was wondering how a private company could make a marijuana bust...
Gonna be a high ol' time in the cop shop tonight, thanks to the War On Some Drugs.
Fly it down to Crawford.
The hippies stash bags are probably running low 'til the Hollywood shipment rolls in this weekend.
Take a toke, Mike, and quit your crabbin.' Hehe. I can hardly imagine the world is breaking down the door for Indiana reefer.
Yeah, the authorities should lay off marijuana and focus on crystal meth. That stuff is the plague.
Ditch weed.
Terrible head ache - or so I've heard.
Don't underestimate what the farm boys have learned to do.
Still, a lot of wild cannabis in northwest, from WWII necessity.
Meth is the big problem in Hooterville.
There moving it closer to Kristy Kreme!
Yeah, that was my first thought -- How did an Internet Service Provider get involved?
I wonder if they were able to destroy all the pot? It's only a two hour drive....
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