With little more than a tent and some food, a hired farmer can sleep among the towering pot plants on a farm in Texas, or Mexico, without being detected. These farms, which often cover large swaths of land, are being found more and more on this side of the border, where cartels don’t have to worry about crossing over to bring their goods to eager American customers.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the latest farm of this kind was recently discovered in Polk County, where officials found more than 30,300 plants ranging from five to eight feet tall and spread over hundreds of acres.
“It’s believed to be the largest pot farm ever found in Texas, though no one has been arrested.”
How did they find the farm and not the farmer? Cartels are a hands-off sort of group when it comes to their crops. They hire workers to camp at the farm and tend the plants and these workers know how to get away in a hurry.
They backpack in and live with few luxuries. There’s no plumbing and soap found at campsites indicates they bathe in whatever fresh-water source is nearby.
Although officials confiscated more than 106,000 outdoor marijuana plants on similar Texas farms last year, Texas is still far behind California in terms of outdoor growing operations. Still, with the remote areas and vast prairies, Texas is alluring to Mexican growers.
“They are here, and the reason is very simple: They are not taking a chance with getting it seized at the checkpoints,” said the head of DEA’s Houston Division, Javier Pena.
They avoid detection by leaving the natural vegetation in place, allowing the marijuana to grow among whatever else is growing in the area.
Mexican growers can save money and possible detection by cultivating in the States. And when they hire people with little to no first-hand contact, they are virtually undetectable.
The DEA and ICE can do their best to stop the infiltration of Mexican marijuana, but the fact is, the American people want it. Because the United States refuses to provide it or honor laws increasing access to it, the American people will buy it from whom they can, and oftentimes this means becoming customers (way down the chain) of Mexican cartels.
If you’ve been caught in possession of pot, whether you grew it yourself and face a cultivation charge, or just bought it from a friend, you are likely facing serious repercussions. Contact our attorneys today to discuss your rights.
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