Chambers County authorities say a plot of Southeast Texas land leased from the Army Corps of Engineers has been home to about 5,500 marijuana plants.
Sheriff Brian Hawthorne got a call earlier this week from a rancher who reported suspicious activity on the wooded property he's leasing from the federal government.
When the rancher and sheriff showed up, two men ran off from a small campsite, leaving behind food, toiletries and clothing. Hawthorne and the rancher discovered pot plants, then called for Department of Public Safety help once they determined the size of the operation.
Sheriff's office spokesman Lt. Dan Houghton tells the Houston Chronicle the plants were in various stages of growth and the estimated $2 million operation had been running for some time.
An investigation is continuing.
