Drug agents get award for finding big pot farm

Yakima Herald-Republic, WA
01/20/06

The nation's drug czar handed out a top award Thursday to several Yakima Valley narcotics agents responsible for busting what's considered the state's largest marijuana farm.

The seven recipients were honored Thursday in Washington, D.C., at the Eisenhower Building, next to the White House, with a distinguished service award from the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Mel Rodriguez, resident agent in charge of the Yakima office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said he nominated the group because of their critical roles in locating and seizing more than 65,000 marijuana plants from a grow operation on Satus Pass in 2004.