Watch CBS News

15,000 Pot Plants Seized In Contra Costa County Raid

BRENTWOOD (AP) - Authorities say they seized about 15,000 marijuana plants worth $30 million from a cornfield in Contra Costa County.

Officers and deputies from Alameda and Contra Costa counties— part of a state marijuana task force—found the plants outside Brentwood on Thursday morning after receiving an anonymous tip.

Task force Cmdr. Norm Wielsch said the marijuana was planted about every 10 feet in place of corn stalks that had been pulled from the ground. The plants were drawing from the field's existing irrigation system.

Wielsch says it was the first marijuana growing operating he has encountered on farmland.

Squatters spotted in the field fled before officers could reach the site.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.