Black Market Marijuana Drug Raids Take Place Across Denver Area
ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Law enforcement agents are targeting as many as 50 locations across the Denver metro area Thursday, where illegal marijuana grow operations may be present. The raids are focused on Commerce City and Brighton but they're taking place in other locations as well.
At one house in Commerce City police told CBS4 they were taking out 1,011 pot plants.
A Denver spokesperson for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency told CBS4 the DEA is working with local police agencies and other law enforcement agencies in the raids. He said the actions to stop black market marijuana operations are taking place at between 35 and 50 locations.
"Since 2014, we've executed over 350 search warrants on illegal marijuana grows with our state and local partners and we typically see anywhere from the hundreds to the thousands" said DEA Assistant Special Agent Deanne Reuter.
In Commerce City some neighbors said they were unaware that any illegal operations were going on.
"I was shocked!" said Todd Parro. "I never knew anything like that was going on across the street that's for sure."
Parro lives across the street from one of the homes raided on Thursday.
"Never smelled it, nothing. Didn't see any comings and goings that would indicate they were doing anything out of the house," said Parro.
Late last year the DEA said there is an uptick in cases of black market pot grows since the drug became legal in Colorado.
