NARCOTICS TASK FORCES SEIZE MARIJUANA IN LASSEN COUNTY; ONE ARRESTED

Law enforcement officers from Lassen and Modoc counties and the U. S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have seized a large marijuana garden with an estimated street value of more than $13 million in northeastern Lassen County and arrested one suspect.

More than 2,730 mature plants were taken from the area near Mendiboure Reservoir, about four miles southeast of Madeline, according to Bob Geffre of the Lassen County Narcotics Task Force.  About half the plants were growing on public land managed by the BLM's Alturas Field Office and the remainder were growing on private land.

A hunter spotted the plants and reported them. 

San Jose resident Daniel Jaso, 23, was arrested in the growing area and booked into the Lassen County Adult Detention Facility.  Geffre said Jaso will face state and federal felony marijuana cultivation charges.

Law enforcement personnel involved said the plants, standing four to seven feet tall,  were growing in three gardens spread over a two square-mile area.  An extensive irrigation system was in place.

Geffre said officers from several law enforcement agencies were involved in the seizure because of concerns that other armed suspects might be in the area.  Officers needed two days to pull the plants and haul them out of the area.  The California Highway Patrol's helicopter from Redding was called in to overfly the area while officers and the suspect hiked out of the gardens.  A BLM contract helicopter was used to haul the plants from the area that is not accessible by vehicle.

Geffre said the seizure was probably a record for mature plants in Lassen County.

-BLM-