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One of several marijuana grow operations photographed last year by Humboldt County sheriff’s deputies. Photo courtesy Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
Downey Calls for Backup Overwhelmed by marijuana, sheriff looks to feds for help By Ryan Burns
ryanburns@northcoastjournal.com TRADITIONAL AND FUSION JAPANESE FOOD DINE IN OR TAKE OUT
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8 North Coast Journal • Thursday, July 26, 2012 • northcoastjournal.com
O
ver the last couple of weeks, Humboldt County has been virtually crawling with federal law enforcement agents on the prowl for big-time weed dealers. First, on July 10, came United States Drug Enforcement Administration agents, who served multiple search warrants in SoHum and, with help from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force, arrested 13 people — some local, others not. (Three of the 13 were placed on immigration hold status.) Eight days later, agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Minneapolis, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, led raids on properties in Bayside, Sunny Brae, Petrolia and Garberville. These raids appeared to be the culmination of a multi-agency, multi-state investigation, and according to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader they led to the arrests
of three South Dakota men. Two of the three, including Sean McFarland, a singer and rhythm guitarist for a popular altcountry band called Snakebeard Jackson, had moved to Humboldt County in March, 2010. All three have been charged with conspiring to distribute at least 220 pounds of marijuana. Clearly the county’s black market marijuana industry is booming, and while local law enforcement didn’t want to say much about the recent raids, referring all questions to equally tight-lipped federal agencies, Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey said the backup is welcome. As a matter of fact, he said, “I’m the one, I hope, who initiated it.” Frustrated by the proliferation of large-scale outdoor grow operations, along with the erosion of state resources, Downey decided to ask the federal government for help. Last October he