NATIONAL BRIEFING / COLORADO

The U.S. Forest Service has apologized for its suggestion that campers who eat tortillas, drink Tecate and play Spanish music may be armed marijuana growers, calling it “regrettable” and “insensitive.”

Forest Service officials apologized to Colorado Latino leaders in a meeting two weeks ago and released a written apology this week.

The Forest Service issued a warning about armed drug growers last month amid an investigation into how much marijuana is being cultivated in national forests in Colorado. Officials retracted it two days later amid heavy criticism.

The written apology by Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Rick Cables says the agency “learned some valuable lessons.”