Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office: $1 million worth of pot seized in bust
Pueblo County Sheriff’s detectives have arrested four people in connection to illegal marijuana grows.
The arrests were made Monday after authorities found more than 365 marijuana plants, worth an estimated street value of $1 million, the sheriff’s office said.
Search warrants were carried out in the 1800-block of 58th Lane and 5000-block of Quail Road.
According to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, 85 mature plants were found at the operation on 58th Lane. Three people were arrested at the operation. They are: Jose Alberto Gonzalez, Sergio Luis Martinez-Suarez and Yoandris Bacallao-Ramos. The three are being charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, cultivation of marijuana and conspiracy.
At the Quail Road location, detectives found 283 mature plants. Francisco Jose Sanchez was arrested. He’s facing charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, cultivation of marijuana, conspiracy, possession of a weapon by a previous offender and special offender.
Detectives think the two grow operations are related. They believe the marijuana was being grown, processed and then shipped out of Colorado.
Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor said illegal grows are dangerous to the environment and hazardous to the area because of to the type of chemicals used for fertilizer, along with alterations that are made to electrical and watering systems to grow the plants.
