Law enforcement officers raided dozens of homes in Spring, as well as Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend counties in the pre-dawn hours. They seized millions of dollars worth or marijuana in sophisticated "grow houses."
One of them sat in a cul de sac just a few houses down from Mo Espono's home.
"I'm just shocked. You see this but I'm living it. It's a shame." says Espono.
Neighbors say they knew something suspicious was going on at these houses. The men who were visiting the houses were secretive and spent little time at the houses. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration say this Vietnamese crime ring had it down pat.
"They get these unassuming neighborhoods and they get these rental properties and they set up grow operations. They harvest 3-4 times a year and make a lot of money," says Special Agent Thomas Hinojosa.
The suspects bypassed the electricity meters and blackened the windows in order to avoid attention. Each home had marijuana plants in different stages of growing or drying. Large burlap sacks full or fresh leaves lay about. The homes had dozens of grow lights. Roughly two dozen people are in custody. The raids come after an investigation lasting over a year.
