A joint operation between the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department has landed three marijuana grow suspects in jail and led to the eradication of thousands of plants.

An alert rural crimes deputy on patrol east of Santa Maria on Sunday night set the events in motion.

About 9 p.m. Sunday, a Santa Barbara County sheriff’s rural crimes deputy was on patrol when he noticed a suspicious vehicle parked alongside the 4000 block of Foxen Canyon Road. He also observed two men standing next to the rear of the vehicle with the trunk open and a large military-style duffel bag on the ground. Suspecting they may be part of illicit marijuana grow operation, the deputy contacted the two subjects before discovering a third man inside the vehicle.

All three were ordered to the ground pending backup. A subsequent search revealed two duffel bags full of freshly purchased food supplies, along with equipment and supplies typically found in marijuana grow operations. Santa Barbara narcotics detectives were summoned to assist in the case.

Further investigation led narcotics detectives to a significant-sized marijuana grow nearby, but over the San Luis Obispo County line. The SLO Sheriff’s Department put together a team to eradicate the marijuana garden. By late afternoon Monday, sheriff’s personnel had eradicated more than 5,400 plants.

Nazario Ramos-Torres, 51, and Saul Sandoval Torres, 28, were booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail for cultivating marijuana and criminal conspiracy, both felonies. Bail was set at $50,000. Humberto Trejo Ceja, 30, also was booked into the county jail and is being held on a no-bail immigration hold.

Booking photos are not being released at this time.

— Drew Sugars is a public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.