Illegal marijuana grow found in Pueblo West home, authorities report ties to Florida

Two people are arrested following an illegal marijuana grow found in a Pueblo West home that had been reported in the past.

Norge Alberto Mastrapa-Tajeda, 50, and Maria M. Diaz, 56, both from Florida, were arrested for cultivation of marijuana. Pueblo County deputies found 62 mature marijuana plants and six pounds of dried marijuana in a home at 723 S. Lone Cowboy Dr.

Mastrapa-Tajeda and his wife, Diaz, told deputies they had just moved into the home from Florida and were taking care of the property as the homeowner lives in Florida. Mastrapa-Tajeda said the marijuana plants belonged to the owner of the home.

Deputies contacted the owner of the home in Florida by phone who admitted to having the grow but said he didn’t realize the plant count was over the legal limit.

According to state law established in 2018, only 12 marijuana plants are permitted per household.

The home had been searched in the past, but in both cases the grows were found to be within the legal limit per state law at the time.

According to Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor, the residence is nothing more than a black market grow house.

“These people are coming in from out of state and moving into these homes that are already set up for marijuana grows with the product going out of Colorado for sale,” Taylor said.

This is the third illegal marijuana grow found in the past five weeks in a Pueblo West home. With all three of the grows, the residents have ties to Florida.

Mastrapa-Tajeda and Diaz have been booked into the Pueblo County Jail.