Department of Public Safety spokesman PO2 Eric David said first to fall were Juan B. Castro, 55, and son Vicente C. Castro, 36, who were arrested on Tuesday afternoon while former Rep. Pedro P. Castro, 63, was apprehended yesterday.
David said the department’s Criminal Investigation Bureau and the CNMI Customs Joint Drug Enforcement Task Force conducted the surveillance and arrests.
Police found 145 marijuana plants from Juan Castro’s property in As Matuis while 41 marijuana plants were found on Pedro Castro’s farm in Marpi.
Superior Court Associate Judge Ramona Manglona yesterday said there were sufficient facts to support the arrest of Juan and Vicente Castro.
Assistant Attorney General William Downer represented the government and moved that the father and son be held for illegal possession and trafficking of a controlled substance — marijuana.
Manglona set a $6,000 bail each for Juan and Vicente Castro who were remanded to Corrections after the hearing.
Juan and Vicente Casto both were questioned and admitted owning the marijuana plantation, police told the court.
Yesterday, 41 marijuana plants ranging from seedlings to those five feet in height were found on the farm of Pedro Castro.
He admitted owning the marijuana plants, together with a nephew.
Twenty-one bags of packaged marijuana along with empty Ziplock bags were found after police searched Pedro Castro’s residence in San Antonio.
David said Pedro Castro was arrested for illegal possession of controlled substance, illegal possession of a firearm, trafficking of a controlled substance, and manufacturing of a controlled substance.
