Mexican man was growing pot in Giant Sequoia forest. Now he faces 20 years in prison

Rosario Beltran-Leal, 43 of Sinaloa, Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to conspiring, cultivating and distributing marijuana in Giant Sequoia National Monument in Tulare County.

He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $1 million fine.

Lauren Horwood, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, said Beltran was caught bringing 31,000 marijuana seeds to a growing site in a remote area closed to the public at the monument. He also was carrying a large amount of food and cultivation supplies, including irrigation hose connectors.

In the guilty plea, Beltran said he brought food to the growers in the same area in 2016.

Horwood said native vegetation and trees were trimmed to make room for the plants and water was diverted from a stream.

This story was originally published December 18, 2017 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Mexican man was growing pot in Giant Sequoia forest. Now he faces 20 years in prison."