Growhouse 49 Taken Down

VENUS - A remote 10-acre site off of County Road 731 was the site of the 49th growhouse operation to be dismantled in Highlands County since November.
More than 100 marijuana plants were seized in this operation.

Deysi Lavin Jimenez, 38, and Carlos David Morales, 32, both of 327 County Road 731, Venus, were charged with producing marijuana, possession of marijuana in excess of 25 pounds or 300 plants and possession of narcotics equipment.
Jimenez was being held on $516,500 bond and Morales was being held without bond, according to sheriff's central records.

Three firearms, a .22-caliber rifle, a second rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun were recovered by the Highlands County Drug Task Force, which Sheriff's Capt. Randy LaBelle found disturbing. The .22 and 12-gauge were in the shed.

"They were actually coming out of the grow [house] when we got them," LaBelle said. "We haven't found very many where they were armed."

A hidden camera with infrared capability was discovered in a tree, monitoring some plants kept outside of the growhouse to the rear of the 10-acre lot, LaBelle said. The monitor for the camera was kept in the trailer.

Thirty-eight mature plants were found outside. The seizure was valued at more than $400,000.
A second rifle was found inside the double-wide trailer home, where the pair lived.
LaBelle said it was a good thing his investigators got the pair outside.

"This one could have turned ugly," LaBelle said. "They were armed and they were right by the weapons."
At the time of his arrest Morales had 72 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition in his pocket along with seven 12-gauge shotgun shells.

When investigators searched the shed Tuesday, they found a growhouse operation with 32 mature plants and 33 clones, with root systems. Two plant clones did not yet have root systems.
As many as 12 sheriff's personnel and one Avon Park police officer on loan to the task force spent nine hours dismantling the growhouse, which included grow lights, carbon dioxide producer, air conditioner, ballasts and irrigation systems.

"It wasn't real sophisticated, but it worked," LaBelle said.
Power was also diverted from Glades Electric Coop, said LaBelle. Power company investigators had not yet determined the extent of its loss.

Morales was additionally charged with giving a false identification to a law enforcement officer.
The investigation continues, LaBelle said, when asked if there would be other arrests in this case.