A major illegal marijuana grow in the Palo Alto foothills was uprooted Wednesday, netting about $60 million worth of plants, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department.
The bust Wednesday was a joint effort between The Palo Alto Police Department S.W.A.T. team, California Department of Fish and Game and the Sheriff's Office Marijuana Eradication Team.
The teams found two marijuana gardens near Page Mill Road with about 20,000 plants total. They also discovered two bags of ammo, but no gun, and a Taser-style weapon, Sheriff Sgt. Rick Sung said.
Several empty camping areas were also found in the gardens, Sung said.
The operation is an ongoing effort between the departments to crack down on illegal marijuana growers who cause severe damage to the environment by contaminating the water system with pesticides and littering the areas with trash and human waste.
A bust in late June in the Palo Alto hills netted 5,500 plants.
Drug agents say Mexican drug cartels have set up shop in Northern California because the topography is good for hiding the secret gardens and the climate is friendly to the plants.
