Pueblo and El Paso County Sheriff’s Office still eliminating illegal marijuana grows

When 2018 began, law enforcement in Southern Colorado pledged to eliminate illegal marijuana grows in their counties.

Thousands of marijuana plants where found in basements, backyards, and warehouses in both El Paso and Pueblo County that exceed the 12-plant limit. Those have all been confiscated.

This year, El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder says his deputies have seized 6,032 plants and their work is not done.

“I think we’ll hit another 25-30 grows before the end of the year and I’m hoping we’ll have the same impact next year,” Elder says.

In Pueblo County, the fight is similar. Undersheriff R. J. Hall says, “we’ve got over 1,000 plants and over eight homes… and one outdoor grow.”

Just this week, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office seized $249,000 worth of marijuana from a home, and the week before, 60 plants were taken.

Most tips that lead to arrests have come from concerned neighbors.