Suspected Illegal Pot Grows Raided Around Denver

Federal and local law enforcement agencies are raiding suspected illegal marijuana operations in the Denver area.

DEA spokeswoman Deanne Rueter said Thursday's raids are part of an ongoing, federal criminal investigation into suspected black market operations. She says they're being carried out in various cities and counties.

Television footage showed pot plants laid out in the driveway of a home in a middle-class subdivision in the suburb of Thornton. Agents in hazmat suits were walking around the front of the home as three people sat handcuffed on the curb. A group of neighbors, some out with their dogs, gathered on a corner to watch.

Local and federal agencies periodically raid Colorado marijuana operations that are suspected of not following state law, typically focusing on those believed to be shipping pot elsewhere.