7 Chinese Nationals Charged Over Marijuana Trafficking in Massachusetts, Maine

Contact Your Elected Officials

DOJ said the defendants allegedly smuggled Chinese nationals to work in suburban grow houses, producing and distributing bulk marijuana.

Seven Chinese nationals were charged on July 8 for allegedly running a multi-million-dollar marijuana trafficking network in the suburban neighborhoods of Massachusetts and Maine, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Prosecutors alleged that the defendants turned single-family properties in Massachusetts and Maine into covert interconnected grow houses for cultivating and distributing โ€œkilogram-sized quantitiesโ€ of marijuana in bulk, which started in January 2020, according to a DOJ statement.

All but one defendantโ€”Yanrong Zhu, 47, of Greenfield Massachusetts, and Brooklyn, New York, who remains at largeโ€”have been arrested. Those arrested are Jianxiong Chen, Yuxiong Wu, Dinghui Li, Dechao Ma, Peng Lian Zhu, and Hongbin Wu, all aged between 35 and 39.

The individuals allegedly coordinated through the so-called โ€œEast Coast Contact Listโ€ of marijuana cultivators and distributors, which includes people with ties to China.

Prosecutors alleged that the defendants used earnings from the marijuana sales to purchase luxury homes, automobiles, jewelry, and real estate in Massachusetts to further expand their criminal enterprise.

They also allegedly conducted โ€œbulk cash transactionsโ€ with co-conspirators in the Eastern District of New York, according to the statement.

Chen, one of the arrested suspects, was accused of smuggling illegal Chinese immigrants into the country and withholding their passports to force them to work in the grow houses until their smuggling debts were paid off.

DOJ stated that law enforcement officers discovered more than $270,000 in cash, several Chinese passports, and other identification documents during a search of his house in Braintree, Massachusetts, last year.

In June 2023, authorities seized $36,900 in cash after stopping Wu and Zhu as they left a grow house in Greenfield, Massachusetts.

Law enforcement also seized over 109 kilograms of marijuana, nearly $200,000 in cash, and a gold Rolex watch still bearing its $65,000 price tag during 2024 searches of grow houses in Braintree and Melrose, where Ma and Zhu resided, respectively.

โ€œThis case pulls back the curtain on a sprawling criminal enterprise that exploited our immigration system and our communities for personal gain,โ€ U.S. attorney Leah B. Foley said in the statement.

โ€œThese defendants allegedly turned quiet homes across the Northeast into hubs for a criminal enterprise โ€“ building a multi-million-dollar black-market operation off the backs of an illegal workforce and using our neighborhoods as cover. That ends today,โ€ Foley added.

By Aldgra Fredly

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

ChatGPT Goes Biblical about End Times!

There are some truly outstanding internet content creators, or...

Epsteinโ€™s Niece Exposes the Illuminati!

There is a shocking interview by the podcaster Shaun Attwood, an English former ecstasy trafficker turned YouTube podcaster, speaker, activist, and author.

When Gynocrats Attack: Innocent Locker Room Talk Interrupted By Rabid Karen

The question posed: โ€œWho do you think has a...

Obamaโ€™s Treason is a Betrayal of American Democracy and Demands Real Accountability

Few scandals have cast a longer shadow than the 2016 Russia investigationโ€”the manufactured crisis by President Obama designed to cripple Trump's presidency.

Chronic Grievous Insufficiency

A president's physical vigor, stamina, and mental acuity are essential to his ability to fulfill the duties of office and those qualities should matter with no regard to party affiliation.

US Witnessing โ€˜CapEx Comebackโ€™ as Investment Wave Hits Economy: Treasury

The U.S. economy is experiencing a โ€œCapEx Comebackโ€ this year as private-sector investment soars, the Treasury Department said.

What to Know About New ‘Visa Integrity Fee’

New refundable โ€œVisa Integrity Feeโ€ for foreign nationals applying for nonimmigrant visas to enter the United States.

Oregon High School Athletes File First Amendment Lawsuit Over Podium Protest

AFPI filed lawsuit for Oregon high school athletes, alleging OSAA violated their First Amendment rights by punishing their peaceful protest of boy competing in girlsโ€™ event.

Professional Wrestling Legend, Hulk Hogan, Dies at 71

Hulk Hogan, former WWE superstar and one of the most recognizable figures in the sports entertainment industry, has died at 71 years old.

Odds of U.S.-EU Trade Deal Are 50โ€“50 Ahead of Tariff Deadline: Trump

President Donald Trump said thereโ€™s a 50โ€“50 chance that the United States will finalize a trade deal with the European Union before an Aug. 1 deadline.

Trump Pulls Habbaโ€™s Nomination for New Jerseyโ€™s Top Prosecutor, Making Her Acting US Attorney

President Trump withdrew his nomination of Alina Habba to serve as NJโ€™s top federal prosecutor, making her Acting US Attorney.

Trump Says He Wants Muskโ€™s Companies to โ€˜Thrive Like Never Beforeโ€™

On Thursday, President Trump said, โ€œI want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE, in fact, THRIVE like never before!โ€

DOJ Forms Strike Force to Assess DNI Findings on Russia Collusion Allegations

DOJ is forming task force following the declassification of docs that shed light on origins of false claims that Trump won 2016 election with Russiaโ€™s help.
spot_img

Related Articles