On a quiet stretch off U.S. Highway 59 outside Livingston, neighbors say the scent hit them first. Then came the early-morning parade of vans and box trucks. After enough complaints and a whole lot of suspicion, those red flags finally brought Polk County deputies to what authorities describe as a major indoor marijuana grow hidden in plain sight.
When Polk County Sheriff’s narcotics detectives, backed up by the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division, executed a search warrant on Tuesday, they reported finding more than 1,500 marijuana plants spread across several buildings on the property. Investigators arrested resident Elier Jimenez and booked him on a charge of possession of marijuana between 50 and 2,000 pounds, according to KHOU.
Neighbors' complaints and suspicious deliveries
Deputies say the bust did not happen by accident. Neighbors had been calling in reports for some time, complaining about a strong, persistent marijuana odor that seemed to hang over the rural area. They also described seeing vehicles coming and going while most people were still asleep, including vans and box trucks pulling up in the early morning hours.
That pattern of odd traffic, paired with the unmistakable smell, was enough to get narcotics detectives digging deeper. The property, just outside the Livingston city limits off U.S. Highway 59, had already raised eyebrows among locals before it landed on law enforcement’s radar, according to local reporting by KTRE.
State law and the penalties at stake
The single charge Jimenez faces is no minor rap. Under Texas law, possession of marijuana in the 50- to 2,000-pound range is treated as a second-degree felony. That classification carries the potential for serious prison time and hefty fines if there is a conviction.
For those keeping score at home, the exact penalties are spelled out in the Texas Health and Safety Code, which sets the weight brackets and corresponding felony levels. The statutory details are available via Justia.
Investigation continues
Polk County officials say the narcotics division and the state CID are not done yet. Investigators are still sorting through the grow operation and following leads that could trigger additional charges or arrests down the line.
Sheriff Byron Lyons has publicly reminded residents that marijuana remains illegal in Texas and has pointed to links between illegal grow operations and other serious crimes seen in Polk County, according to reporting by KTRE.
