Mexican cartels grow pot in U.S. national forests

Drug czar stands in pot garden: "These aren't Cheech and Chong plants" Authorities say Mexican drug cartels send illegals to grow marijuana in forest $1 billion worth of marijuana plants destroyed in Sequoia National Forest, cops say "They're willing to kill anybody who gets in their way," drug czar says SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST, California (CNN) -- Beyond the towering trees that have stood here for thousands of years, an intense drug war is being waged. Authorities uncovered more than $1 billion worth of pot plants in Sequoia National Forest this week. Illegal immigrants connected to Mexico's drug cartels are growing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of marijuana in the heart of one of America's national treasures, authorities say. It's a booming business that, federal officials say, feeds Mexico's most violent drug... [read full story]