Bust worth an estimated $9 million tied to Mexican drug cartel

Police discovered and eradicated the county’s largest-ever known marijuana farm on a steep slope in Ophir Canyon back in late August, and said the grow was connected to a Mexican drug cartel.

The 3,113 plants — worth an estimated $9 million — were initially found in a secluded area of the canyon about a half mile off the main roadway by an elk hunter, who immediately reported the discovery to the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office. Two agents from the county’s drug task force watched the area for a few days to gather information, later calling for backup when a suspect arrived at the scene.

Officers moved quickly to apprehend the man, but after almost five hours of searching unsuccessfully, due to the thick brush and steep terrain, abandoned that effort and turned their focus to gathering evidence at the marijuana farm.

An intricate watering system and other equipment was dismantled and removed from the mountain. Deputies also gathered long-stay supplies such as a tent with four sleeping bags, cooking gear and tooth brushes.

Police believed people of Hispanic descent were watching the site due to the proliferation of Mexican food, Spanish-language media and a Hispanic name carved into a stick found nearby.

Agents from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration canvassed the scene later. They believe the farm is connected to a larger operation based in California and ultimately Mexico, though no official connection has been made.

“Unless someone who has been previously arrested or gets arrested again is behind it we can’t really link anyone to the grow,” said Mike Root, supervisory special agent with the DEA. “Our investigation is ongoing. Often times the people behind these grows will bring up illegal aliens to work out there. It’s hard to know who they really were.”

The DEA has had some success in connecting perpetrators to even larger marijuana farms down in the southern part of the state — some featuring as many as 40,000 plants — but don’t believe those grows are connected to the one found in Ophir.

“We had some people who cooperated after they were arrested and they never said anything about something this far north,” Root said.

All the same, Root said he doesn’t believe the local farm was an isolated one.

“It was pretty elaborate with all the pipe that was laid,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we found another one five miles from there next year. We will hit up that area again next year to make sure they don’t come back.”

The DEA believes had the farm not been found the marijuana would have eventually been harvested and shipped to the Midwest for sale.

“[The growers’] success had to do with the fact that it was off-road,” said Tooele County Sheriff Frank Park following the discovery. “It was close to the main Ophir road, but far enough away that you couldn’t see it. [The growers] could see everything from their vantage point. The canopy they had because of the growth made it so you couldn’t see [the farm] unless you were standing right there. It was very well concealed.”

Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com