The U.S. Attorney's Office announced on Thursday, July 19 that a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Saul Arreola-Cardenas, 27, of Mexico. Arreola-Cardenas has been charged with conspiracy to grow marijuana with the intent to distribute it.
The Attorney's Office said that according to court documents, Arreola-Cardenas was apprehended near Sawmill Road in the Sequoia National Forest after the U.S. Forest Service received a tip regarding a suspected marijuana growing in the area. Law enforcement agents then scouted the area and eventually spotted part of the grow site.
After encountering Arreola-Cardenas walking along a trail near the site, the Department of Justice reported that law enforcement agents found approximately 1,402 marijuana plants, thousands of pounds of trash, irrigation hose, camping equipment, fertilizer and pesticides at the site.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said that Arreola-Cardenas is currently in custody and is scheduled for arraignment on July 25, in federal court in Fresno.
