Over the past year, federal agents and local law enforcement in southern Colorado and throughout the state have been clamping down on marijuana grown illegally in homes. (Joe Amon, Denver Post file)

DEA targets out-of-staters in busts of illegal grows in southern Colorado

Federal agents teamed up with authorities in El Paso County on Monday morning to serve several warrants and make arrests in connection with an out-of-state organization suspected of illegally growing marijuana east of Colorado Springs.

Officials say the pot was being grown indoors in violation of Colorado and federal laws.

Jim Gothe, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration in Denver, said he could not provide details in the cases because they are under seal. He added that an investigation remains ongoing.

Jacqueline Kirby, spokeswoman for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, said the agency’s SWAT team assisted DEA agents.

Kirby said she could not provide exact locations for where the warrants were served, but said they were in eastern El Paso County.

Over the past year, federal agents and local law enforcement in southern Colorado and throughout the state have been clamping down on marijuana being illegally grown in homes. Officials say the pot is being grown in the state for transfer and sale across the country.

In one September raid, investigators seized more than 22,000 pounds of pot plants across southeast Colorado.

This story was first published on DenverPost.com