MADERA COUNTY – Agents attached to the Madera Narcotic Enforcement Team (MADNET) just completed an emergency marijuana eradication mission at a home in Oakhurst located less than a mile away from two public schools, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Early this morning, Wednesday, Oct. 30, MADNET agents served a search warrant at a home located on Indian Springs Road in Oakhurst, just over 2,000 feet from Oakhurst Elementary School, and about 1,000 feet from Oak Creek Intermediate School.
It took one trailer just to haul away 360 pounds of packaged processed marijuana ready for sale, all of it found stashed throughout the residence. A second trailer was used to haul eradicated plants as well as harvested plants.
In addition to the 360 pounds of packaged processed marijuana, agents also located 51 recently harvested plants that would have yielded 51 pounds or more if processed. These plants were found drying in a bedroom, the attached garage and backyard porch.
Agents also seized 19 plants still growing on the property that would have rendered another 19 pounds or more of processed marijuana had they been allowed to mature. Additionally agents seized 138.5 grams of Hashish, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Agents say this was rental property that had been converted into a marijuana cultivation operation.
There were 9 people, including 7 men and 2 women, in this 3-bedroom, 2-bath home. With the exception of the renter, the rest of the occupants hail from Fresno, Orange Cove, Del Norte County and Sonoma County.
No arrests have been made at this time, and the investigation is ongoing.
This is the second time in 2013 agents have had to tackle illegal marijuana growing and processing operations near public schools. Last month Narcotic Agents, assisted by the Madera Regional SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) Team, served a search warrant at a home near Coarsegold Elementary School.
Both of these missions were carried out without injury to anyone.
But Sheriff John Anderson says the county has experienced drug related shootings, and that these illicit growing operations do pose a very real danger to the citizens of Madera County.
It’s been an extremely busy season for MADNET agents so far this year. Just this month alone agents seized almost 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana.
So far this year, MADNET marijuana seizure cases have included 55 grow sites, 148,457 marijuana plants and 1,704 pounds of processed marijuana, according to the Sheriff’s Office. There have been 54 arrests made and agents have seized 49 weapons.
ban all Marijuana growing in Madera County and whoever they bust living at these grows or in the fields they should get prison time and when released if they are illegals which most are they should be deported after time served and banned from entering USA ever again.