2 Sentenced For Large Marijuana Grow In Shasta-Trinity National Forest
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Two men were sentenced Thursday in connection to a large illegal marijuana grow in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced that Armando Vargas Garcia, 38, and Eduardo Montero Aleman, 38, were sentenced for conspiracy to cultivate marijuana, marijuana cultivation in that national forest, and depredation of federal lands.
The pair, who are both from Mexico, were also ordered to pay $34,931 in restitution for the damage caused to the forest.
Court documents reveal the defendants were involved in the cultivation of 8,656 marijuana plants in the Big Mountain area. Officials also found two compound archery bows, nine arrows, and 42 rounds of ammunition at the site. Additionally, an illegal pesticide, carbofuran, was found at the cultivation site in the national forest.
Shasta-Trinity is the largest National Forest in California, spanning more than 2 million acres and features Mount Shasta, the state's second-highest peak.