Illegal marijuana grow worth nearly $500,000 eradicated from California's Calaveras County
An illegal marijuana site large enough to produce nearly half a million dollars worth of pot was eradicated in Calaveras County, officials said Wednesday.
More than 1,500 marijuana plants across multiple fields were located on a remote hillside on public land near New Hogan Lake, the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office said.
The seized plants would have produced approximately $472,815 worth of marijuana, officials said.
Sheriff's office officials worked with the Bureau of Land Management to clear the site on September 26. The illegal grow was on land managed by the bureau.
The sheriff's office said the suspects operating the site cleared native foliage to cultivate the marijuana plants among the remaining greenery. No arrests were made and no suspects were located during the operation.
Personnel with the Bureau of Land Management are actively investigating any environmental violations discovered at the site.