Justice Department tightens crackdown on Chinese mafia in Maine; Janet Mills remains silent

The U.S. Department of Justice is stepping up its fight against Chinese organized crime networks operating in Maine, following a series of raids on illegal marijuana growing sites in rural communities across the state.

On Tuesday, the office of Maine U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee filed lawsuits seeking the seizure of two properties searched by the county sheriff earlier this year, a property on Douty Hill Road in Sangerville and a property on Upper Main Street in Norridgewock.

In total, the Ministry of Justice now wants to seize six properties that are suspected of being part of a sophisticated criminal organization run by Chinese criminal organizations.

The public first became aware of the illegal cannabis operations through a leaked Department of Homeland Security memo. The memo revealed that more than 270 locations in Maine were being used as drug hubs by what DHS identified as Asian transnational criminal organizations, also known as Chinese mafia or Chinese triads.

(RELATED: Illegal Chinese Neurotoxins Enter Maine’s Black Cannabis Market: Maine Threat Brief…)

Since December 2023, local and state law enforcement officials have intensified their efforts to identify and disrupt properties throughout Maine that have been purchased by out-of-state individuals and converted into illegal marijuana grow operations.

Law enforcement agencies have executed more than 40 search warrants in Lincoln, York, Franklin, Somerset, Penobscot, Washington and Piscataquis counties, seizing tens of thousands of pounds of illegally grown cannabis and arresting dozens of Chinese nationals, including Chinese nationals, who have been charged with high-level drug offenses.

The crackdown has exposed a vast network of sophisticated grow houses in central and northern Maine, fueling concerns about the extent of foreign criminal influence in the state.

Despite the widespread recognition of a large criminal conspiracy in the state, Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) has yet to comment on the developments. Furthermore, Maine State Police have been involved in only a handful of enforcement operations against organized crime networks.

(RELATED: Brother of Maine Gov. Janet Mills helped transfer 22 acres of black market cannabis plants to a Chinese national ‘mother’ living in Guangdong province…)

In the latest developments, federal authorities have initiated civil forfeiture proceedings against multiple properties located at 1052 Douty Hill Road in Sangerville and 114 Upper Main St. in Norridgewock.

The properties in question are believed to have been used to grow thousands of marijuana plants without the required state permits. Some of the sites show evidence of extensive electrical upgrades and significant energy use, suggesting large-scale operations.

The Norridgewock property now being seized is owned by Jiamin Liao, a 29-year-old Chinese national who was arrested and charged with running a drug-selling business.

This week, Liao became the second Chinese drug trafficker to be charged by federal authorities for her role in operating illegal marijuana grow sites in Maine.

During the raid on properties connected to or owned by Liao, law enforcement seized approximately 600 marijuana plants and 30 pounds of processed cannabis. Liao, who was arrested in March, has since been released on $5,000 bail after pleading not guilty to federal charges.

The two properties targeted by the Justice Department this week join four other properties that were the subject of police raids earlier this year, including 590 Hanson Road in China; 414 East Kennebec Road in Machias; 368 West Ridge Road in Cornville and 9 St. Albans Road in Corinna.

The Ministry of Justice took steps in May to seize all four properties.

1052 Douty Hill Road, Sangerville: This property was purchased by Alvin Chen of 12 Keel Drive, Berlin, MD in February 2021 before he later transferred the deed to Alfinity Capital Holdings LLC. According to Maryland business records, Alfinity Capital Holdings is registered to Alvin Chen of 12 Keel Drive, Berlin, MD.

590 Hansonweg, China: This property was owned by Xiao Liao and later managed by Tat Chong Lio. It was known for its advanced growing facilities spread throughout the property and a detached garage. The high electricity consumption indicates large-scale cultivation.

414 East Kennebecweg, Machias: The property, owned by HBA Properties, LLC, managed by Fanny Sun, was identified as a hub for the cultivation of more than 2,600 marijuana plants, with extensive modifications to support the grow operation, including high electrical consumption and specialized equipment. A source familiar with the property said the man who led the initial modifications to the building was Colorado-based HBA Properties President Zhan “David” Su. Other directors of the Massachusetts-based LLC include Qiao Yi Wu and Sinh Phat Voong.

368 West Ridge Road, Cornville: The property, run by Yuling Mei, underwent significant alterations to convert nearly the entire home into grow rooms, resulting in the seizure of hundreds of marijuana plants and processed cannabis. Mei, of Brooklyn, purchased the property in 2021.

9 St. Albans Road, Corinna: Linked to 336 Apex Inc., operated by Wen Hui Li and tenant Jing Zeng, the property was found to contain numerous grow rooms with thousands of marijuana plants, extensive electrical upgrades and high water usage, suggesting large-scale illegal operations. Although not mentioned in the filing, 336 Apex and Li are also linked to other properties in Maine, including a Garland home at 1056 Dover Road and a guest house at 113 Cross Road in Stetson.

While the Justice Department appears to be ramping up efforts to curtail the ability of Chinese criminal organizations to operate in Maine, law enforcement actions have only scratched the surface of the more than 270 properties the Department of Homeland Security suspects are involved in the ongoing criminal conspiracy.

Triad Weed: Chinese Mafia in Maine

Last year, a leaked Homeland Security memo revealed the existence of more than 270 foreign drug hubs in Maine and hundreds more in the U.S. At these locations, marijuana is being grown illegally or under false pretenses and distributed throughout the country in violation of federal law.

Since Maine Wire’s “Triad Weed” series began, Maine law enforcement has executed more than 40 search warrants and arrested numerous Chinese nationals for illegal marijuana cultivation and trafficking. But these actions only scratch the surface of the widespread clandestine criminal activity that has emerged in Maine since 2019.

Sources in Maine tell the Maine Wire that illegal Chinese marijuana grows have resumed at previously raided locations. Locations that were quiet during frequent police raids earlier this year are now active again. The smell of illegally grown weed is back, and several black marketeers are filing paperwork with Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy to obtain legal protection for their operations.

If you’ve been following Maine Wire’s aggressive, in-depth reporting on Chinese organized crime in Maine, don’t miss our first-ever feature-length documentary. “Triad Weed: How the Chinese Mafia Infiltrated Maine.”

Our documentary takes you behind the scenes of the year-long investigation to expose the foreign criminals who infiltrated Maine and exploited our communities to enrich themselves and their foreign criminal networks. The film premieres Friday, September 20th at the Saco Drive-In Theater on Route 1 in Saco. Parking is limited, so get your tickets now! (Carpooling encouraged)

Buy tickets here

Read more about Maine Wire’s “Triad Weed” reporting