Pot Covered Island Found - DU Roadtrip Planned

[Chris_]

Pot-Covered Island Discovered Near Merced
Posted: 12:20 pm PDT July 6, 2010

STEVINSON, Calif. –– Merced County authorities say they have uprooted more than 9,000 marijuana plants from a remote garden growing on an island in a San Joaquin River tributary.

Sheriff's Deputy Tom MacKenzie says a helicopter spotted three or four people running from a makeshift camp next to the pot garden, but they escaped on foot before law enforcement agents raided the site Saturday.

MacKenzie says it took 13 officers eight hours to uproot and burn the 9,353 plants, which had an estimated street value of $9.4 million.

The raid followed a tip about a marijuana garden near Stevinson, an unincorporated community 29 miles west of Merced.

Once the garden was located from the air, deputies had to use boats to reach the garden and camp site.

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