Tuolumne and Stanislaus County authorities arrested three Mexican Nationals in connection with cultivating marijuana near Parrots Ferry Road in Columbia.
The pot garden was discovered and up-rooted last week. The three men – in the U.S. illegally – were arrested Thursday at a house in Empire in Stanislaus County.
Investigators used fingerprints at the pot garden to track down the men. They are being held in Tuolumne County jail without bail.
The raids on two gardens, including the one near the Columbia Airport and another in a remote section of the Stanislaus National Forest near Twain Harte netted agents some 16,000 mature pot plants.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 4:42 pm