WHEN: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
WHERE: Collier County
SUMMARY: CCSO investigators arrested nine people and shut down eight suspected marijuana indoor grow houses Wednesday as part of a simultaneous multicounty effort to combat grow houses in Florida.
The statewide initiative was spearheaded by the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force, which is made up of various agencies including the DEA and FBI.
The goal of the initiative was to get as many counties involved to participate in a simultaneous statewide operation, said investigator Morgan Rogers of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s vice and narcotics bureau, which participated in the crackdown.
“Since we hit them all at once, we definitely dealt a good blow to the marijuana grow house problem,” Rogers said.
In addition to the arrests, CCSO investigators uncovered 203 plants with a total street value of $609,000. They also recovered a loaded rifle from one of the residences.
Investigators also seized marijuana growing equipment from each residence with a total estimated street value of around $40,000.
All of the suspected grow houses from Wednesday’s operation in Collier County were in Golden Gate Estates.
Since January, CCSO investigators have shut down 23 grow houses and seized an estimated $3.9 million in plants.
The nine people arrested and their charges were:
Giorky Roblejo Rivero, 27, 125 2nd St. N.E., Golden Gate Estates; marijuana manufacturing and possession of narcotic equipment.
Lily Cruz Gonzalez, 21, 4625 Everglades Blvd. N., Golden Gate Estates; marijuana trafficking and possession of narcotic equipment.
Angel Igor Gonzalez, 49, 3469 Everglades Blvd., Golden Gate Estates; marijuana manufacturing.
Luis Fuentes Ramos, 40, 4730 22nd Ave. S.E., Golden Gate Estates; marijuana trafficking.
Humberto Cubilla, 42, 4320 18th St. N.E., Golden Gate Estates; marijuana manufacturing, possession of marijuana and possession of narcotic equipment.
Guillermo Sarria Ortega, 49, 4625 Everglades Blvd. N., Golden Gate Estates; marijuana trafficking and possession of narcotic equipment.
Mayda Muniz Navarrette, 50, 3469 Everglades Blvd., Golden Gate Estates; marijuana manufacturing.
Christina M. Rodriguez, 43, 4140 66th Ave. N.E., Golden Gate Estates; marijuana trafficking.
Julio Cesar Rodriguez, 40, 4140 66th Ave., N.E., Golden Gate Estates; marijuana trafficking.
