Local drug agents Friday eradicated about 2,700 marijuana plants with a street value of nearly $11 million off Coalinga Road in southern San Benito County.
Agents with the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team made arrested one man, Donnaciano Contreras, who had been tending to plants at the property in the 18000 block of Coalinga Road. Another suspect, who is unidentified to this point, fled the scene and evaded officers, said UNET Commander Mark Colla. That second suspect remains at large.
UNET agents had spotted the marijuana garden by air earlier last week. San Benito County sheriff's officers and authorities with the federal Bureau of Land Management also were on the scene when authorities confiscated the drugs and arrested the suspect, Colla said.
They eradicated 2,670 plants as well as 10 pounds of dried, processed marijuana and subsequently destroyed them. Authorities estimated the street value of the plants alone at $10.68 million.
Colla led the raid to the Coalinga Road property in what he described as a "very rural area." The commander pointed out how dangerous such work can get.
"You have to be careful in these large raids," Colla said. "They put fishhooks in the plants to slice you open, hide weapons so they can get to them easily - they even put out large animal traps to catch people."
The marijuana garden was on federal land and authorities had no leads regarding the identities of those who did the planting.
Jeff Gatlin Jeff Gatlin is a staff writer at The Hollister Free Lance. You can call him at (831) 637-5566 or send him an email.
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