Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) run by Chinese citizens living in the United States have been running illegal marijuana growing operations at more than 100 properties in rural Maine, according to an unclassified memo from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Steve Robinson of the Maine Wire reports that, upon investigation, the properties in question all have similar qualities: they were purchased by Chinese men or women, have a strong marijuana odor, have trash from commercial growing products, have a large indoor area to grow, have blacked-out windows, have multiple security cameras, and have heat pumps that are constantly running.
With recreational marijuana being legalized in Maine in 2020, and federal law enforcement prioritizing the threat of fentanyl, these illegal marijuana operations have been able to take over the state’s recreational marijuana market. The Maine Legislature is considering a bill that will help state, county, and local law-enforcement stop these Transnational Criminal Organizations.
