Part 5/15:
Despite eradicating the crops, the cleanup of environmental contamination remained unaddressed. Norris notes that at the time, no laws or enforcement mechanisms existed to mandate reclamation efforts—leaving ecosystems scarred and vulnerable to recurring illegal activities.
The Escalation to Violence and Tactical Challenges
As these grow operations proliferated, they became increasingly violent and well-armed. Norris recounts a 2005 incident when he and his team were ambushed during a raid. His partner was shot multiple times, narrowly escaping death, illustrating just how dangerous these operations had become.