Two Mexican nationals charged for growing thousands of marijuana plants in national forest

Two Mexican nationals were charged Thursday with conspiracy, growing marijuana, and damaging public lands after authorities seized a massive growing operation in Modoc National Forest.

Agustin Rodriguez-Sandoval, 44, and Gustavo Barraza-Barboza, 33, were arrested on Oct. 12 after a raid on a marijuana cultivation site near the town of Likely, California, within the bounds of the national forest in which authorities destroyed over 3,300 live plants and seized 800 recently harvested plants, according to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.

Rodriguez-Sandoval and Barraza-Barboza each face anywhere from 10 years to life in prison and a fine from $250,000 to over $1 million, according to the release.