Four arrests, more sought in reservation pot raids
Four arrested on federal charges; pot worth $23 million
By Nina Mehlhaf, KTVZ.COM and news sources [here]
Officials say a Mexican drug cartel turned remote patches of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation into vast marijuana plantations the past two growing seasons. …
An Oregon National Guard flyover spotted the grows out near Maupin, hidden under trees in a very steep ravine, only accessible by what locals say is a two-hour hike down, or a raft trip down the Deschutes.
Four men, three of them Mexican nationals, have been arrested and arraigned on drug charges. Federal prosecutors said in a statement Friday that “the investigation and pursuit of additional suspects continues.”
Warm Springs tribal police say the grows were funded, organized and operated by a Mexican cartel now set up in Northwest. Police say they pick tribal reservations because they’re isolated, and short of officers who would be able to go after major traffickers. … [more]