Reply #18: I have never heard Lou Dobbs say anything - never listened to him.

[tabatha]

It appears that Santa Barbarans are beginning to feel the heat from the Mexican drug war. The latest indication is last week's announcement by U.S. Forest Service and Sheriff's Department officials that La Brea Fire was started by a cooking fire left by tenders of an illegal marijuana grow in Los Padres National Forest. The investigation into origins of the 225,000 marijuana plants-valued, according to the Sheriff's Department, at $686 million-that authorities have eradicated in Santa Barbara County this year alone is being kept largely under wraps. However, Sheriff Bill Brown said evidence has been discovered linking many of the farms to drug traffickers from Mexico

http://www.independent.com/news/2009/aug/21/pot-farmers-spark-blaze/

The incident began when two campers, who had been staying at the Aliso Park area west of New Cuyama, stumbled upon the illegal plants. According to a report by Sheriff's spokesperson Andrew Sugars, the campers were then approached by two Hispanic men who requested that the campers not leave until the arrival of their boss, who spoke English. Becoming suspicious of the situation, the campers packed up their gear and attempted to leave. On the way out, they passed a truck headed in the opposite direction. The truck stopped and a man waved to the fleeing campers. When the campers did not stop, the driver returned to his vehicle and began pursuing, at times coming "dangerously close to the campers' vehicle," Sugars noted.

http://www.independent.com/news/2009/apr/21/26-million-pot-grow-discovered-los-padres/