PART 1 - Marijuana Eradication; T.N.T. Style

PART 1 - Marijuana Eradication; T.N.T. Style

Monday, July 30, 2007 - 07:15 AM
Bill Johnson
MML News Director


Stanislaus National Forest, CA -- It was Friday, July 20, at 6am that five members of the Tuolumne Narcotics Team, more commonly known as T.N.T., along with nine state agents from the C.A.M.P. (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) program, gathered at the Columbia Air Base.

The mission for the day was to eradicate four mariuana grows in the Stanislaus National Forest. Those grows were located at Five Mile Creek, Clark's Gulch, Rose Creek One and Rose Creek Two.

T.N.T. keeps a daily count of marijuana plants that are eradicated. This total was posted at the Columbia Air Base Sheriff Department's T.N.T. Headquarters prior to the 7/20/07 eradication of several grows in the Stanislaus National Forest off Italian Bar Rd.

T.N.T. Case Agent Jarrod Pippin says grows are discovered by aerial observation and public input. He adds that Tuolumne County is a perfect location for grows because of its many remote and difficult to access locations.

According to Pippin, the Mexican drug trafficking cartel is responsible for 95 percent of all marijuana grows in the Mother Lode. Occasionally grow tenders are arrested by law enforcement agencies, but for the most part there is a distinct absence of Mexican nationals when T.N.T. and C.A.M.P. personnel arrive. Mexican nationals carefully plan their escape routes as soon as the grows are established.

Ground preparation for T.N.T. and C.A.M.P. agents to be helicoptered into marijuana grows off Italian Bar Rd. in the Stanislaus National Forest (7/20/07).

Tomorrow in the second segment of our week long series, Marijuana Eradication; T.N.T. Style, we'll take a look at the training program for T.N.T. members.

Broadcasts of our weeklong series can be heard each day on AM-1450 KVML at 6:30am, 7:30am, 8:30am, 12:05pm and our overnight newscasts. The series can also be heard on STAR 92.7 at 6:20am, 7:20am and 8:20am and on Today's Country, KKBN (93.5), at 6:30am, 7:30am and 8:30am.

Written by bill.johnson@mlode.com

http://www.mymotherlode.com/News/article/kvml/1185799823


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