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PDN photo by Jenny Huggins 
LeFlore County Sheriff Bruce Curnutt and several deputies assisted the U.S. Forest Service with a marijuana harvest along the Arkansas River. Pictured, from left, are Deputy Kyle Green, Deputy Josh Cranfield, Sgt. Randy Liles, Curnutt and Deputy Michael Draper. By Jenny Huggins
News Reporter
The U.S. Forest Service and LeFlore County Sheriff's Department harvested and disposed of 153 marijuana plants Tuesday along the Arkansas River in the Stoney Point/Tucker Bottoms area in LeFlore County.
The plants were discovered during a fly-over by the Forest Service. The fly-overs are carried out each summer during the growing season shortly before it is time to harvest the illegal plants. “We have a great cooperative agreement with the Forest Service," said LeFlore County Sheriff Bruce Curnutt. "If they see anything suspicious they contact us and we help harvest."
It is unknown who the plants belonged to. Officials believe the owners were using the Arkansas River to access the crop. "We are still investigating who has been cultivating the plants,” Curnutt said. The value of the plants has been estimated at more than $250,000.
“The plants were good quality and their was a small trail leading from the river to the plants” stated Curnutt. The plants were had grown to heights of four to eight feet. Some plants appeared to have be hybrid and had been cross-bred with other types of marijuana plants.
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