A raid on a California pot farm on Tuesday netted Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier who was traded in a prisoner-swap with the Taliban for five Guantanamo Bay detention center suspects in 2014.
Sgt. Bergdahl, who was on leave at the time of the raid on a Redwood City, Calif. home, was released by authorities after it was determined he was not “connected to the operation, at least there was no evidence to suggest he was involved,” Fox News reported.
“It’s infuriating and it’s not surprising,” said Lt. Col. Michael Waltz, who was a commander of U.S. Army Special Forces when Sgt. Bergdahl went missing in 2009, Fox reported. “We still have 12,000 U.S. soldiers serving in harm’s way in Afghanistan. Sgt. Bergdahl is still on active duty, and instead of doing what he should be doing, he’s on leave on a pot farm while his fellow soldiers are still in harms way.”
Sgt. Bergdahl has been charged with desertion and will face a court marshal.
“U.S. Army North was contacted by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s office on July 21 regarding an incident within their jurisdiction in which Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was present,” U.S. Army spokeswoman, Cynthia O. Smith, told Fox.
At least one person was arrested in the raid, Fox reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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