STORY, Ind. (AP) _ Authorities believe a Mexican drug cartel may be responsible for about 3,100 marijuana plants found growing in Brown County.

The plants, which have an estimated street value of $3 million, were discovered Saturday on private property south of Story. Local and state authorities spent about four hours cutting down the plants Saturday and then about two hours destroying them Tuesday.

The Brown County Sheriff's Department says it believes a group of people was living in the woods and harvesting the marijuana plants. The department believes the operation is tied to a Mexican drug cartel because of evidence found at the scene, including food packaging in Spanish.