Alpine County and federal authorities suspect that between 4,000 and 6,000 marijuana plants seized on Wednesday in a remote area near Markleeville belong to a Mexican drug cartel.
Alpine County Undersheriff Robert Levi said the marijuana farm was planted in a highly organized fashion on steep terrain.
Alpine County and U.S. Forest Service officials found the grow, which included a large quantity of drying marijuana, a pistol, ammunition and two pellet rifles.
Levi said someone was seen fleeing the area while authorities were at the scene and one man is in federal custody.
"It is believed that there are three more suspects at large that were associated with the marijuana grow," he said.
Levi said that preliminary indications are that the grow is controlled by a Mexican drug cartel.
"These cartels, known for their violence, are of a specific concern to the Alpine County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Forest Service," he said.