Two men have been arrested after police uncovered an illegal marijuana grow house across from a Maine day care.
Guo Hong Lei, 55, of Brooklyn, New York, and Xiandu Zhang, 69, of North Quincy, Massachusetts, have been charged with maintaining a drug-involved premise, according to the Sun Journal.
If convicted, both men face up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $500,000.
During the search of the Pine Street property in Mexico, police found nearly 500 marijuana plants. The property, a three-bay garage formerly used by Western Maine Transportation, was across the street from a day care and within 1,000 feet of a middle school, the Sun Journal reported.
The operation allegedly produced 20 to 30 pounds of harvested marijuana a month, which was picked up from buyers from New York, according to the newspaper.
It’s just the latest large-scale illegal marijuana operation uncovered in Maine in recent months.
Since the beginning of the new year, police have been active in busting these large operations, which have been found all over rural Maine, from Brownville, Guilford, Milo and Sangerville in Piscataquis County, to Corinna, Eddington, Holden and Passadumkeag in Penobscot County, to Turner in Androscoggin County, to Anson, Canaan, Cornville, Harmony, Madison, Mercer, Norridgewock, Ripley, Skowhegan, Solon and St. Albans in Somerset County, to Jay in Franklin County, to Belgrade, China, Chelsea, Farmingdale and Manchester in Kennebec County, to Jefferson and Whitefield in Lincoln County, to Belmont and Freedom in Waldo County, to Parsonsfield in York County.
These operations received greater scrutiny after the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office found an illegal marijuana grow house in Carmel, where police seized 3,400 plants and 111 pounds of processed marijuana in late June 2023. As the year dragged on, police uncovered other large illegal marijuana operations in Dexter, Wilton, Machias and other communities.
A leaked federal government memo, first obtained by the conservative Daily Caller and published last August, estimated that Maine had as many as 270 large-scale illegal marijuana grows connected to organized crime groups in China. The memo’s authors noted that the money may be used to further crime in the U.S. or be sent back to China. These operations generate an estimated $4.37 billion in revenue.
“The possibility that organized criminal enterprises with alleged ties to China are using Maine properties to profit from unlicensed marijuana operations and interstate distribution makes it clear that there is need for a strong and sustained federal, state and local effort to shut down and thoroughly investigate these operations,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine Darcie N. McElwee said in early May.
McElwee said that more than 40 illegal marijuana operations have been shut down in recent months, while approximately 100 more may continue to be operating in Maine.
“We expect this law enforcement action to continue until the individuals operating the illegal grows come to understand that Maine is not a safe or hospitable place for such activity,” McElwee vowed.
So far, no connections have been found to illegal immigration or human trafficking, with most suspects being either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
During a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in response to a question from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins that more evidence suggests these illegal operations are tied to Chinese crime gangs, while stressing no connection has been found linking them to the Chinese government.
That marks the first admission at that level of the federal government about the connection between Chinese organized crime and illegal marijuana operations, according to Collins’ office.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency is investigating criminal syndicates running illegal grows in at least 20 states. That revelation from U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland came in response to questioning by Collins during an Appropriations Committee hearing in mid-April.
It’s unclear whether the Mexico operation is connected to other illegal marijuana grows in Maine or to the crime network described in the federal memo.
Lei and Zhang are being detained pending an appearance in U.S. District Court next week, according to the Journal.
No additional information was immediately available.
