Officials Bust Marijuana Operation In Warren County

Most marijuana growers pick remote spots in rural areas to grow their crop. At 464 square miles and 90 percent of the land being rural, Warren County has plenty of spots to choose from.

"The farmers go to a lot of trouble to make it hard for law enforcement to get into these areas. There's a lot of cutting we have to do," says Warren County deputy Sgt. Milton Cooper.

The Warren County Sheriff's Department was aided by Vance County officials, Henderson Police, and Franklin County officials. Inter-agency cooperation makes it possible for officials to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

"We can get in and out quickly as anyone I know. Ask the Warren County deputies," says Franklin County Sheriff Robert Redmond. "If we didn't have all this equipment, we'd be hacking all day long."

Nearly 400 plants were taken out of the woods, making it the second biggest crop ever discovered in Warren County.

After the plants are counted, they are burned. Law enforcement officials may never know who planted them, but they say at least no one will be able to sell them."

"We get lucky one year, they get lucky one year. Sometimes we get it, sometimes we miss it," says Johnny Williams of the Warren County Sheriff Department. "We're doing excellent. We were doing well -- excellent after today."

Based onDrug Enforcement Administrationestimates, the crop seized Tuesday in Warren County is worth close to $1 million on the street.

The DEA also seized nine smaller crops in Vance County Tuesday afternoon. Investigators say figuring out who planted the crops is often difficult, if not impossible.