Muddy Mess: Mexican Nationals Busted in Wildlife Refuge Grow

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A sprawling, illegal marijuana farm hidden deep within the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge in Howard County, Missouri, has landed two Mexican nationals in federal court. Carlos Horacio Vasquez-Duarte, 27, and Rigaberto Camacho Reyes, 24, both citizens of Mexico, pleaded guilty today to their roles in the brazen operation, according to Acting United States Attorney Tom Larson.

The bust went down on October 25, 2016, when law enforcement descended upon a five-acre section of federal land. Officers found a sophisticated setup – not some backyard hobbyists. This was a business. Five tents were dedicated to drying, packaging, and prepping the marijuana for distribution. Multiple growing locations were identified, teeming with plants reaching heights of five to six feet. The operation wasn’t just about planting seeds; these guys were actively maximizing their yield, pruning and trimming plants to encourage maximum growth.

Vasquez-Duarte was caught red-handed, literally. He was hauling a substantial amount of marijuana on his shoulder, moving it towards one of the processing tents. Reyes wasn’t far behind, carrying marijuana plants himself when officers moved in. A quick count revealed the scale of the operation: 881 plants still in the ground, another 1,103 cut and drying in the tents. The ground was littered with picked stalks, a testament to previous harvests. This wasn’t a one-time deal.

Beyond the plants themselves, the operation was fully equipped. A complex water system snaked through the fields, utilizing black plastic tubing and large containers. Fertilizer, bedding, pruning tools, and cultivation chemicals were all on site. The growers even set up a makeshift living area, complete with a fire pit and sleeping bags, within the grow itself – they clearly intended to stay for a while. It was a self-contained, illegal enterprise operating right under the noses of those tasked with protecting the wildlife refuge.

Both Vasquez-Duarte and Reyes now face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, with the possibility of up to 40 years behind bars. The final sentence will be determined by the court, taking into account advisory sentencing guidelines and other relevant factors. Sentencing hearings are pending completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office. They messed with federal land, and now they’ll face federal time.

The investigation was a coordinated effort, involving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Refuge Law Enforcement Division, the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the East Central Drug Task Force, and multiple local law enforcement agencies including the Howard County Sheriff’s Department and police departments from Glasgow, Fayette, and New Franklin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller is prosecuting the case.