40 Marijuana Plants Seized on Santa Margarita Ecological Preserve

About 40 marijuana plants were discovered at the Santa Margarita Ecological Preserve southwest of Temecula in Fallbrook during a recent round of seizures conducted by the San Diego Narcotics Task Force.

In all, more than 8,500 marijuana plants worth an estimated $4.6 million were seized Sept. 24 and 25 from three rural locations in the North San Diego County area, according to San Diego County sheriff's Lt. Hank Turner.

Of those, more than 8,000 plants were found in the Gopher Canyon area east of Vista, while 354 plants were found on a open-space hillside near Wildcat Canyon and San Vicente roads in Ramona, Turner said in a statement.

Authorities also found an encampment and an illegal dumping site for trash, pesticides and chemicals in the Gopher Canyon area, he said.

No arrests were reported.

—City News Service, San Diego