PUEBLO, Colo. – Pueblo County deputies broke up an alleged illegal marijuana grow and hash oil manufacturing operation Tuesday, seizing nearly 150 plants in the process.
Reinaldo Castillo, 53, and Jose Castillo, 52, each face charges of conspiracy, unlawful extraction of marijuana concentrate, possession with intent to manufacture or distribute marijuana concentrate, and cultivation of marijuana.
A third man, 59-year-old Sandalio Cardenas, has been referred to the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for investigation on possible charges.
According to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a home in the 500 block of N. Rayont Drive Tuesday to check out a report of an illegal pot grow. The sheriff’s office says the residents were “very cooperative” and allowed deputies inside to check the grow.
Inside, detectives found 146 plants and “commercial-grade extraction equipment” used to make hash oil, according to the sheriff’s office, and a search warrant was obtained to further check out the house.
The marijuana plants were being grown in the garage and three rooms in the home’s basement, according to deputies. The number of plants at the home is above the number allowed at home grows in Colorado.
Both Castillos were booked into the Pueblo County jail. The sheriff’s office says the investigation remains ongoing.