The arrested individuals include Jianxiong Chen, Yuxiong Wu, Dinghui Li, Dechao Ma, Peng Lian Zhu, Hongbin Wu, with Yanrong Zhu still at large, all linked to the operation.

The operation began around January 2020, with large-scale marijuana grow centers and distribution networks throughout Maine and Massachusetts, controlled by Chen and connected to Chinese contacts.

The enterprise conspired to sell large quantities of marijuana across the Northeast, using suburban homes as illegal grow sites and hubs for distribution, with cash transactions linked to New York.

Profits from the operation, estimated in the millions, were spent on luxury real estate, cars, and jewelry, fueling further expansion of the criminal enterprise.

Authorities describe the operation as exploiting the immigration system and local communities for personal gain, dismantling a sprawling transnational criminal network.

Multiple agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and state police from Massachusetts, Maine, and New York, are involved in ongoing efforts to dismantle such organized crime.

In October 2024, law enforcement seized over $270,000 in cash, Chinese passports, and 109 kilograms of marijuana from Chen's residences, with additional cash and luxury items found at other locations.

In June 2023, authorities stopped Hongbin Wu and Yanrong Zhu after leaving a grow house, seizing nearly $37,000 in cash, highlighting the scale of illegal profits.

The case exemplifies ongoing efforts to combat Chinese-organized crime involved in illegal marijuana cultivation, smuggling, and money laundering, with profits funding luxury lifestyles.

Law enforcement efforts, including over 60 property searches in Maine in 2024, have significantly reduced illegal grow operations in rural areas across multiple counties.

Seven Chinese nationals are charged with operating a multi-million-dollar illegal marijuana enterprise across Massachusetts and Maine, involving unlicensed grow houses, smuggling, and money laundering.

Data from Chen's cell phone indicated he helped smuggle Chinese nationals into the U.S., using them as illegal workers at grow houses, and withholding their passports until debts were repaid.