Two Sebring men were free on bail Wednesday, after sheriff's investigators say their fingerprints and palm prints were found inside of separate marijuana grow houses taken down in June and July by the sheriff's Special Investigations Unit. ...more

September 4, 2008 |

SEBRING — Two Sebring men remained in Highlands County Jail on Tuesday in lieu of $136,500 bond each, after deputies raided their home at 6302 Apple Road. Hansel Cruz Vasallo, 22, and Danilo Marcelo Vasallo-Luis, 55, were charged with marijuana production, trafficking in marijuana in excess of 25 pounds and possession of narcotics equipment. The two men were inside when deputies entered the house. ...more

June 3, 2008 |

LAKE PLACID — A Hialeah man was free Thursday on $5,500 bail after he was arrested and charged with operating a marijuana grow house operation at 320 Guymon Ave. N.W., in Placid Lakes. Raul Alain Santos-Gonzalez, 28, was booked into jail May 22 on charges of conspiracy to produce marijuana production and conspiracy to traffic in excess of 25 pounds of marijuana or 300 or more plants. "He was linked to numerous grow houses," said Sheriff's Capt. Randy LaBelle on Thursday. "The investigation is on-going." LaBelle declined to say how Santos-Gonzalez was linked to the Guymon Avenue grow house. The investigation began back on Nov. 28, 2006, when a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer, Robert O'Horo, came upon an illegal dump site about two miles away from Guymon Avenue. The site reportedly consisted of a large number of plastic bags containing items belonging with an indoor marijuana grow house operation; plants, cuttings, fertilizer, PVC pipe, etc. ...more

May 31, 2008 |

LAKE PLACID — A Hialeah man was free Thursday on $5,500 bail after he was arrested and charged with operating a marijuana grow house operation at 320 Guymon Ave. N.W., in Placid Lakes. Raul Alain Santos-Gonzalez, 28, was booked into jail May 22, on charges of conspiracy to produce marijuana production and conspiracy to traffick in excess of 25 pounds of marijuana or 300 or more plants. "He was linked to numerous grow houses," said Sheriff's Capt. Randy LaBelle on Thursday. "The investigation is on-going." ...more

May 30, 2008 |

LAKE PLACID — Six Lake Placid residents of Cuban citizenship were arrested Thursday in three separate growhouse busts by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. ...more

February 23, 2008 |

SEBRING — Sheriff's detectives needed a keen sense of smell and sharp ears Wednesday to locate a marijuana growhouse operation, the 60th growhouse raided in the county since November 2006. A strong marijuana smell and the sound of growhouse electrical equipment led to the arrest of a Sebring man and woman in connection with the alleged operation at 8460 Tubbs Ranch Road, in Sebring, off of U.S. 98. ...more

December 14, 2007 |

The Highlands County Sheriff's Drug Taskforce inched closer to taking down what could be growhouse No. 50 on Wednesday evening, the first at 45 N. Riverdale Road and the second at 18 Disney Blvd., both in Avon Park. ...more

September 21, 2007 |

LAKE PLACID — The arrest of a Lake Placid man Friday on charges of marijuana production was in connection with the Aug. 7 raid and dismantling of a growhouse at 648 Western Blvd., Lake Placid. ...more

September 17, 2007 |

SEBRING — While a dismantled growhouse operation was found in the master bedroom of 4218 Maserati Drive, a fully operational grow operation was located in the garage late Friday afternoon. ...more

September 5, 2007 |

SEBRING — While a dismantled growhouse operation was found in the master bedroom of 4218 Maserati Drive, a fully operational grow operation was located in the garage late Friday afternoon. When Highlands County Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Unit Sgt. John Singha and Det. Jared Futch arrived at 4:15 p.m. Friday, they found Yamilet Groeiro Mondejar, 35, at home. ...more

September 4, 2007 |