6,400 marijuana plants found growing illegally at three Pueblo County sites

The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office says a federal law enforcement officer’s evening hike in the San Isabel National Forest turned into much more.

The officer was hiking near Rye on the Millset Trial on October 18 when, according to the sheriff’s office, he came across six men wearing camouflage. The men were sitting off the trail about 100 yards from the parking area.

The off duty federal officer, who has experience investigating illegal marijuana grows, found the men’s behavior suspicious and contacted the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office began an investigation on October 23, members of US Forest Service law enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Land Management and the Pueblo county Sheriff’s Office conducted an operation in the hills above Rye to determine if there was an illegal grow in the area.

The Air National Guard assisted with a Black Hawk Helicopter to fly over the area and plot GPS coordinates to the operators on the ground.

During the fly over, the National Guard helicopter crew spotted three illegal marijuana grow sites above the Millset trail on steep mountain terrain.

The three grows were located on federal land.

All but 2,400 of the total 6,400 marijuana plants had been harvested. The remaining plants were destroyed.

The sheriff’s office says the evidence at the scene included three makeshift lean-to type structures for people to live in while tending to the plants and a sophisticated watering system connecting drip lines to every plant, planted in potting soil.

The estimated cost of this operation, including manpower and equipment is $14,997.00. The estimated street value of the illegal grows was approximately $64,000.