Pubdate: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 Source: Ogdensburg Journal/Advance News (NY) Copyright: 2005 Johnson Newspaper Corp. Contact: http://www.ogd.com/letter.htm Website: http://www.ogd.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/689 Author: Associated Press Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California) MARIJUANA RAIDS SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Agents have seized 742,684 plants with an estimated street value of more than $2.6 billion, already surpassing last year's season total by 20 percent, authorities said. The state Department of Justice's annual Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP, is still a month away from wrapping up operations after the season peak at the end of September. The raids, many in remote, forested terrain, pit agents against often heavily armed guards protecting their marijuana plots. About three weeks ago, a grower was shot dead and a state Fish and Game warden was wounded during a raid on a 22,000-plant pot farm in the hills above Los Gatos. It was the fourth suspect to die in a marijuana raid shootout with authorities in the past three years and the first time a law enforcement officer has been shot in CAMP's 22-year history. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin