United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA)  |  July 20, 2010 

Arrest Made in US Forest Service Operation at Illegal Marijuana Site

Contact(s): [name and phone number withheld] 

REDDING, Calif - A U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Operation led to the arrest of an individual at an illegal marijuana cultivation site last week where 7,434 illegally grown marijuana plants were confiscated.

On Friday July 9, 2010, a marijuana eradication operation was conducted on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Trinity County, south of Hayfork, by law enforcement agents from the U.S. Forest Service, Trinity County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force and the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement. During the raid, a U.S. Forest Service K-9 team located Gauldry Almonte-Hernandez, a displaced foreign traveler [emphasis added] from Michoacán Mexico, who had tried to flee the area and hide while officers were performing entry into the marijuana garden.

The defendant was arrested on federal charges in violation of Title 21 United States Code section 841, Manufacturing a Controlled Substance, if found guilty, he could receive a sentence of 10 years in prison.

During the week of July 5th, officers conducted marijuana eradication operations at six sites near Hayfork with the eradication of approximately 46,000 marijuana plants.

On July 6th, the team of officers eradicated two marijuana manufacturing locations on the National Forest where a total of 14,757 marijuana plants were destroyed. The operation continued on July 7th with the removal of 16,767 plants from two additional gardens. July 8th a fifth garden was eradicated by the team which contained 7,466 marijuana plants which were destroyed. The operation ended Friday with the arrest of the defendant and the eradication of 7,434 marijuana plants.

The public is encouraged to contact your local Forest Service office or Sheriff's Department with any information pertaining to illegal marijuana manufacturing on your public lands.