NATION BRIEFS

CALIFORNIA/Sheriff: Marijuana dispensaries corrupt

The Los Angeles County sheriff has escalated his war of words against California medical marijuana dispensaries, saying as many as 97 percent operate as criminal enterprises. Some of the pot shops get marijuana from Mexican drug cartels, and most dole out pot to people with no medical need for it, Sheriff Lee Baca said. Baca presented no evidence to support his claim. His comments coincided with a recent announcement that he would lead efforts against a November ballot measure to legalize marijuana for personal use in California. Critics said his claims about the dispensaries were politically motivated and untrue. Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Casey McEnry, who works in the San Francisco office, said it was difficult to substantiate or refute Baca's claims because of challenges in determining where pot found in dispensaries was produced.

HAWAII/Labor exec arrested in human-trafficking case

The head of a labor recruiting company accused of exploiting 400 workers from Thailand and forcing them to work on U.S. farms is under arrest. FBI Special Agent Tom Simon said Los Angeles-based Global Horizons Manpower Inc. chief executive Mordechai Orian surrendered Friday at his attorney's office in Honolulu. The FBI had attempted to arrest Orian at his home in Los Angeles Thursday, but he wasn't there. Orian, three employees and two Thailand-based recruiters were charged in an indictment announced Thursday. The FBI says it is the largest human-trafficking case charged in U.S. history.