Accused military deserter Bowe Bergdahl was caught in the middle of Mendocino County law enforcement raid Tuesday morning on a marijuana farm allegedly operated by old friends of the soldier, who remains on active duty while awaiting court martial on desertion charges, and was on approved leave during his visit to the farm.
Calls as high as the Pentagon were made regarding Bergdahl’s presence during the raid. According to the Anderson Valley Advertiser, which confirmed with Sheriff Tom Allman, Bergdahl was present at the raid. However, the sheriff says he was not involved in the farm’s drug production.
The report indicates the Sheriff found Bergdahl compliant and polite, handing over his military ID as the bust went down. Aware of Bergdahl’s high-profile status, the Sheriff’s department verified the approved leave. He was determined to have arrived at the location Friday, July 17 to visit old friends at the remote location.
Bergdahl was not arrested. Though he was scheduled to return to the East Coast on Wednesday, due to the incident the Pentagon requested he be transported by the Sheriff’s Department to Santa Rosa. An Army major met them and accompanied Bergdahl back to his duty station.
Last year the Obama administration traded five top Taliban commanders for Bergdahl. Several members of Bergdahl’s unit have stated their belief that Bergdahl deserted–as well as their disgust over the deaths of those soldiers that attempted to find and rescue Bergdahl.
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