On Tuesday, August 7th, park rangers raided a large marijuana operation within the boundaries of Sequoia National Park. They removed 5,432 marijuana plants with an estimated value of $14 million dollars, and will continue to remove plants and collect evidence for the investigation. During the operation, gunshots were heard from the site. NPS personnel, working with officers from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol, closed the Mineral King Road to vehicular traffic for the safety of the public while investigating the source. Residents in the effected area were notified of the situation and were escorted from the area at their discretion. Until further notice, traffic needing access to Mineral King Valley and private residences will be escorted several times a day by park rangers. Arrangements must be made ahead of time through park dispatch by calling 1-559-565-3195. Also participating in this operation were rangers from Yosemite, members of the Pacific West Region special events tactical team, NPS special agents, and personnel from US Customs and Border Protection, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol. The plantation contained several varieties of marijuana plants, including strains that had been genetically altered. These new hybrid plants have only three leaves and take less time to mature, allowing growers a chance to plant more than one crop in a season. In addition, the plants are shorter (less than three feet), which makes detection more difficult. It’s estimated that several acres of designated wilderness have been impacted by this highly invasive and destructive marijuana growing operation. Anyone caught with connections to this or any other marijuana growing operation on federal lands faces federal charges. Operation Weed Free seeks to deny ground to illegal marijuana growers within the two parks. The investigation into such activities will continue. Information about illegal activities can be reported anonymously or in person by calling 1-888-NPS-CRIME (888-677-2746).
