Two Men Arrested After Marijuana Farm Is Found

LOCKWOOD VALLEY â€”  Two men were arrested and a makeshift marijuana farm containing 207 high-grade plants was leveled after the operation was spotted by a group on horseback, authorities said Wednesday.

The discovery was made Sunday on private property north of Camp Scheideck in the far northern reaches of Ventura County, off California 33, authorities said. The marijuana was valued by authorities at more than $200,000.

The equestrians notified the property owner, who was unaware of the pot-growing operation and called authorities, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said. On Monday, sheriff’s deputies set up surveillance of the site and made the arrests.

Raul Garcia Gonzales, 41, and Enrique Sanchez, 59, were taken into custody after they arrived at the site, Sgt. Bob Garcia of the Sheriff’s Department said.

Garcia said Gonzales and Sanchez were from San Bernardino and had been camping at the Lockwood Valley site for long periods to tend the plants, which, he said, were ready for harvest.

“All of the plants were three to four feet tall and well-concealed,� Garcia said.

In addition to uprooting and removing the plants, deputies said they seized a large amount of growing supplies and camping equipment.

Gonzales and Sanchez both remained in custody Wednesday night on suspicion of growing marijuana and criminal conspiracy, a deputy at the jail said.

Bail was set at $60,000 for Gonzales and $20,000 for Sanchez.

The operation is the second large pot farm found this month in Ventura County.

A sheriff’s pilot on routine patrol north of Ojai on Oct. 8 found 662 high-grade plants tucked into a canyon, with an estimated value of $1.2 million, according to authorities.