More than 200 pounds of pot recovered from Fellsmere-area grow house

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Law enforcement officials recovered more than 200 pounds of marijuana when they dismantled a grow house Tuesday outside of Fellsmere city limits.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the grow house operators were Walfredo Lopez, 39, of the 100 block of Nebraska Circle, Sebastian, and Carlos Manuel Suarez, 47, of West Palm Beach. State troopers worked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Indian River County Sheriff's Office in what had been an ongoing investigation.

FHP said the men were operating the grow house in the 13600 block of 107th Street, Fellsmere. Troopers obtained a search warrant for the home at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The men were using nearly all of the rooms in the home and the garage for growing marijuana, according to their affidavits. Investigators said the men were using a detailed power supply system. Law enforcement officials recovered 86 plants, they said.

Lopez and Suarez were charged with cultivation and trafficking of marijuana. They were being held in lieu of $100,000 bail each Wednesday at the Indian River County Jail.