Marijuana Season Still Continuing...

SGBob · Post by **SGBob** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:20 am

Received this email from Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations. Thought I would forward the warning.

All:
In past years, we would normally be talking about the Marijuana season winding down about this time. Unfortunately, this year we have continued to receive reports of suspicious activities, most likely related to the cultivation of Marijuana. From what we can tell, we are definitely in the final stages of Marijuana cultivations. The plants have been harvested and are either in processing areas getting ready to be packaged, or already packaged and awaiting to be moved off the Forest and Monument. Historically, this is the phase of their cultivation operations where the cultivators are most protective of their crops to ensure it gets into the distribution chain.

Please ensure your respective field going staffs are aware of this, exercise good situational awareness and conduct critical risk assessments before venturing into the field. If an employee or volunteer encounters an area that they believe is active with cultivation activities, the person should immediately leave the area by back tracking on their original path.

Please ensure all observations of suspicious activities are reported to the ECC and to LE&I. As always, a reliable GPS coordinate is most helpful. Unless there is an immediate threat to an employee/volunteer’s safety, we ask that these reports be made via telephone (not on the radio) at the soonest possible opportunity. However, if an employee/volunteer feels they are in imminent danger, they should use whatever means they have to get help.

CrazyHermit · Post by **CrazyHermit** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:32 am

Several years ago I was held at gunpoint in a side canyon on the east side of the San Gabriel Reservoir. They didn't speak a word of English, and I have no doubt I was near one of their pot farms. After awhile they let me go. You gotta be careful when hiking in some of the more remote water canyons. The Mexican drug cartels use them routinely.

SGBob · Post by **SGBob** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 8:52 am

I always wondered why you couldn't do surveillance flights at night using FLIR. It would be pretty easy to spot people that way. You could probably distinguish legitimate campers from "farmers" by seeing people present in the same remote area over several flights.

CrazyHermit · Post by **CrazyHermit** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 9:07 am

That would be a huge area to cover. And probably risky for the pilots. I'm glad they're sending out warnings though. Most hikers will never run into these guys, they try to choose remote areas where people don't go. I'm more worried about booby traps than the farmers.

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 2:00 pm

SGBob wrote: ↑I always wondered why you couldn't do surveillance flights at night using FLIR.

Who says they don't?

Post by **Sean** » Thu Nov 05, 2015 7:41 am

mattmaxon wrote: ↑
SGBob wrote: ↑I always wondered why you couldn't do surveillance flights at night using FLIR.
Who says they don't?

I'd be surprised if surveillance flights weren't standard procedure for identifying and preparing for raid sites. Seems unlikely that they would stroll into enemy territory without at least knowing how many are out there.

Shangri-LA · Post by **Shangri-LA** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 2:56 pm

I found a grow site off the closed section of 39 just last week. Pipes going down to a creek with a bit of water. Bags of potting soil. It's certainly a bigger fear of mine than wildlife.