When CAMP comes to town

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The late summer in Humboldt County wouldn't be complete without a visit from the agents from the California Department of Justice's Campaign Against Marijuana Planting.

 

Since 1983 the multi-agency CAMP has been finding, destroying and confiscating marijuana gardens throughout the state.

 

In its first year, CAMP agents seized 64,579 plants, with that number growing nearly every year. There were 466,054 plants seized statewide last year, the most seized by CAMP, more than 100,000 than the previous year.

 

This year looks to be another record-breaking campaign, and the eight-week CAMP season is only half way into its current endeavor.

 

California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement Special Agent Jack Nelsen said just in Mendocino County alone more plants have been seized in three weeks than all of last year. Up to Wednesday, 35,257 plants had been seized in Mendocino County.

 

As of Wednesday, 122,905 plants had been seized statewide so far this season. In region one, which includes Humboldt County, 57,546 plants had been seized.

 

Just over 6,000 plants have already been found and confiscated in Humboldt County. The other region one counties where plants have been found and seized include Napa, 13,679 plants, and Lake, 2,585 plants.

 

Nelsen is the regional commander for CAMP, leading teams in Lake, Napa, Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Del Norte, Sonoma and Marin counties.

 

Nelsen and a team of about eight agents assist local sheriff department's drug enforcement units with manpower and other resources over the course of a few days in each county.

 

Humboldt County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Wayne Hanson said he spends the weeks before CAMP's arrival flying over the county spotting suspected pot gardens from the air. When CAMP arrives, they know exactly where to go. Some gardens are found while Hanson is on his way to a grow that's already been discovered. Tuesday, while flying to one of the confirmed gardens, Hanson spotted another garden a short distance away.

 

"We flew right over it in the morning," Hanson said. "But the sun hits it a different way in the afternoon and there it was."

 

It may appear hard to spot marijuana from the air among trees and brush, but Hanson said it's easy for someone with a trained eye. He said marijuana plants are a different color green and are more like a "puff ball."

 

Over the years, growers have caught on to some of CAMP's techniques and attempt to out smart the agents. Camouflage netting is used over plants, but Hanson said the plants eventually poke through the netting and reveal themselves. Growers also plant marijuana under oak tree canopies and in manzanita bushes.

 

Plants are even found growing in pots that are wedged in low tree branches.

 

Once the gardens are spotted from the sky, a crew of agents and deputies caravan in trucks to the locations and hike through the woods with the helicopter guiding their way.

 

The growers usually plant in small patches in various locations. In a grow that was eradicated Tuesday off a remote road past Kneeland, seven different gardens were found on one parcel of property. The gardens ranged from about 300 plants to under 10. CAMP agents and deputies also look out for signs of trails leading to patches of sunlight in the woods. One deputy hiked up a small hill off a dirt road, well away from the other gardens, and returned with one plant.

 

More than 700 plants were found on the one piece of property Tuesday.

 

The plants are either pulled up, roots and all, or are snipped at the base. They are then loaded on to all-terrain vehicles or in the back of pickup trucks where they're taken to a staging area and loaded into a trailer. Just the plants are removed from gardens.

 

Humboldt County Sheriff Deputy Gary Cooper said there's usually no one around the gardens to arrest when they arrive.

 

"They have a network that informs them when they see us coming up the road," Cooper said.

 

And chances are, the property owner is not the one responsible for the grow.

 

"If you're going to grow, you're going to do it on your neighbor's land, not yours," Cooper said.

 

Most of the time, according to Cooper, the property owner isn't even aware the grow is on their land until they're contacted by authorities.

 

"It's sad that the property owner's the one that has to clean all this up," Cooper said referring to a small encampment where soil, fertilizer, pots, tarps, ice chests and a case of champagne were found next to one of the gardens.

 

Cooper said that most plants now a days are grown in pots or in bags so they can easily be moved.

 

"It's rare to find plants growing in the ground anymore," Cooper said.

 

Nelsen said that environmental problems arise from outdoor grows, like fertilizers and the mess left behind by garden tenders.

 

Nelson also mentioned a trend seen in most other areas that hasn't quite infiltrated Humboldt County; the involvement of Mexican National Drug Organizations. About 84 percent of last year's total of 466,054 plants were seized from what CAMP is calling Mexican National Drug Organization grows.

 

A danger that comes with these grows, as opposed to local growers, is the garden tenders are sometimes asked to defend the crop no matter what, including firing at law enforcement.

 

Last year there were at least two incident of shootouts between CAMP agents and garden tenders in other counties.

 

CAMP agents are mostly composed of reserve officers from various state law enforcement agencies. They were in Humboldt County for four days last week and plan on returning later in the season.

 

Author: Chris Durant

Date: 16/08/04

Source: Times-Standard

Copyright: © 2004 Times - Standard

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