SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Hunters beware: California's public lands are threatened by more and more illegal marijuana-growing operations, with armed crews toting powerful weaponry.
That message during the recent 24th International Sportsmen's Exposition came from a law-enforcement panel that included state game wardens, a wildlife advocate and a Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement task force commander.
The Mexican drug networks have turned largely to California and its Mediterranean climate for their operations that now supply much of the country with the weed, the panelists said.
As a result, those operations are an increasing threat to outdoor enthusiasts, sportsmen and sportswomen and any other passers-by who might not recognize the danger signals of trash, irrigation equipment and stream diversions, they said.
