The Cape Coral Police Department Vice and Narcotics Unit, along with detectives assigned to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Highway Interdiction Unit, culminated a two month-long joint investigation of marijuana grow houses in Lee County and the City of Cape Coral on Tuesday, March 29.

Cape Coral Police Detectives and LCSO Interdiction Detectives began working an active group of marijuana grow houses that were discovered in the Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres area.

Search warrants were executed on three grow houses in Cape Coral and one in Lehigh Acres, Sheriff’s officials said.

The Lehigh Acres grow house was determined to be within 1000 feet of Varsity Lakes Middle School on Gunnery Road. The Cape Coral Police Department VIN Unit investigated the grow houses occurring within its jurisdiction.

The first search warrant was executed on Friday, March 18, authorities said. The Cape Coral Police Department VIN Unit (with the assistance of the SWAT, SCU, and K-9) executed a search warrant at 2427 NE 22 Avenue, Cape Coral.

During a search of the residence, detectives discovered that all three bedrooms within the home had been converted into cultivation rooms. They seized 40 marijuana plants with a street value of $160,000.

Norge Rodriguez Carballo, 39, 1370 13th, Miami, was arrested by the Cape Coral Police Department and charged with one count of trafficking in marijuana

On Friday, March 29,detectives with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Highway Interdiction Unit executed a search warrant on a complex indoor marijuana growing operation at 4318 14th Street West, Lehigh Acres.

Detectives discovered three of the rooms had been converted for the cultivation of marijuana, authorities said. A total of 24 marijuana plants were seized resulting in a recovery of 22.5 pounds of marijuana valued at $96,000. Additional growing equipment including 1,000 watt bulbs, potting soil, fertilizer, fans, and other paraphernalia used to cultivate marijuana were discovered. The power was illegally tapped and electricity was being stolen to power the operation, authorities said.

Elizabeth Perez, 21, 5150 NW 199 Terrace #606, Miami, and Armin Jesus Dominguez , 26, 3051 W. 76th Street #211, Hialeah Gardens, Fla., were arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and charged with one count of cultivation of marijuana, one count of possession of over 20 grams of marijuana, one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of a school zone (Varsity Lakes Middle School).

Also on Friday, March 29, the Cape Coral Police Department executed two search warrants in Cape Coral at 2002 NW 18th Terrace and 2121 NW 18th Place. These warrants were the result of information gained through a joint investigation with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Highway Interdiction Unit, authorities said.

At the time of the search, both residences had been abandoned and the cultivation systems had been dismantled. Still located within the homes was four pounds of marijuana plants and the required cultivation equipment to grow marijuana including soil, fertilizer and electrical/lighting equipment. The power was illegally tapped on both residences, and the electricity was being stolen to power the operation, authorities said.