Dark side of the hippie lifestyle: Stunning photographs capture the 1969 war on dealers who supplied America's counter-culture revolution with its drugs

In 1969 while thousands were experiencing the first Woodstock, the first Led Zeppelin album and the Beatles' Abbey Road, down south in the U.S. the federal government was launching their largest war on drugs along the Mexican border.



As seen in newly released historic photos, the U.S.'s then most dramatic, muscling effort to stop illegal drug smuggling is captured through unprecedented search and seizure operations to both Mexican and American drivers.



Titled Operation Intercept, the federal effort launched from September 21 to October 11 - starting approximately one month after Woodstock - in the end confiscated roughly 160lbs of marijuana per day from their invasive tactics.

Ultimately, however, the project was lauded as a spectacular failure after collecting an amount only slightly larger than before - as well as angering the Mexican government and the thousands of crossing drivers.

The program was shutdown after just 20 days.



Crackdown: Federal agents are seen pulling out dozens of deadly weapons from a vehicle with Texas plates as part of Operation Intercept along the Mexican-U.S. border in 1969

Caught: A police officer is photographed holding a handgun at a man accused of transporting marijuana in the back of his car outside San Antonio, Texas, a suspect the officer had been trailing

Locked up: The man was found carrying bags of marijuana in the trunk of his car before seen handcuffed by arresting officers, one who's notably smoking a cigar

Collections: Lumped bags of marijuana are seen on a table in the federal offices with the operation's end result collecting 3,202 pounds or 160lbs per day

Destroyed: After the blocks of marijuana are counted for their federal records, two federal agents are seen steadily throwing them into the flames of a furnace

Pleasures: One month earlier thousands of Americans chose to occupy themselves with three days of peace and music, as well as marijuana use, at the Woodstock music festival in upstate New York

Drug use: It's been estimated that 99 percent of event goers at Woodstock were smoking marijuana at some point of time with other drugs like Acid also present

No stopping: In the end, Operation Intercept failed to shut down the flow of marijuana into the U.S. across the border, as well as its widespread use across the country