OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee County Narcotics Task Force has busted a million-dollar marijuana grow house operation, according to a news release from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office.
Alexander Ruiz Leon, 35, of the 32000 block of U.S. 441 North, is charged with trafficking marijuana, cultivating marijuana, leasing and renting for the purpose of trafficking a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, the release states. His bail has not been set.
About 7 p.m. Tuesday, the task force served the search warrant and seized 136 marijuana plants weighing 205 pounds and valued at more than $1.7 million, according to the release, which was issued on Wednesday.

“I have said before, we will rid the neighborhoods of this menace. If you are a drug dealer, you are not welcome in Okeechobee County,” Sheriff Paul C. May said.

The task force consists of members from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office and Okeechobee City Police Department.

–Keona Gardner

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 16th, 2009 at 11:05 am and is filed under Crime. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.