Authorities raided a residence on West Ridge Road at approximately 1 p.m. on Wednesday, December 18, uncovering a significant indoor marijuana cultivation and processing operation, the Somerset County Sheriff's Office reported.
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During the search, officers confiscated 1,497 marijuana plants, around 53 pounds of processed cannabis, $1,800 in cash, drug-related paraphernalia, and a 2017 Toyota van. The sheriff's office disclosed these details on December 19.
Two individuals, Yihui Chen, 52, and Shubing Gao, 46, both residents of Brooklyn, New York, were arrested and charged with unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs and marijuana cultivation. They are currently held at the Somerset County Jail in Madison with bail set at $15,000 each. Both are scheduled to appear in Somerset County Unified Criminal Court on March 5, 2025.
This raid is the latest in a string of large-scale illegal marijuana operations discovered across Maine in recent months.
Since the start of the year, authorities have been actively cracking down on these operations, which have been located in rural areas such as Brownville, Guilford, Milo, and Sangerville in Piscataquis County, as well as towns in Penobscot, Androscoggin, Somerset, Franklin, Kennebec, Lincoln, Oxford, Waldo, and York counties.
The December 18 raid marks the 22nd bust in Somerset County alone this year. These operations have led to 13 arrests and the seizure of approximately 28,000 marijuana plants, 250 pounds of processed cannabis, $50,000 in cash, and five vehicles, according to the sheriff's office.
Scrutiny of illegal marijuana grows intensified following a June 2023 bust in Carmel, Penobscot County, where authorities seized 3,400 plants and 111 pounds of processed cannabis. Subsequent raids in Dexter, Wilton, Machias, and other towns revealed similarly large-scale operations.
A leaked federal memo, initially reported by the Daily Caller in August, estimated that Maine harbors approximately 270 illegal marijuana grow sites linked to organized crime networks based in China. According to the memo, these operations could be generating $4.37 billion in revenue, with proceeds potentially funding further criminal activity in the U.S. or being sent overseas.
The claim was echoed by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who noted that rural properties in Maine are being converted into grow and processing facilities associated with Chinese organized crime.
Maine's congressional delegation has repeatedly urged the U.S. Department of Justice to address the issue. In a January 25, 2024, letter, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, along with Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, praised local law enforcement and called for additional federal resources to combat these operations.
“We applaud Maine law enforcement for their continued efforts to investigate and shut down these illegal operations, and we encourage the Department of Justice and other federal partners to provide additional support for these efforts. These illegal growing operations are detrimental to Maine businesses that comply with State laws, and we urge the DOJ to shut them down,” the lawmakers stated.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, during an April Appropriations Committee hearing, confirmed that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency is investigating illegal grow operations tied to criminal syndicates in at least 20 states.
It remains unclear whether the Cornville operation is linked to other illegal marijuana grows in Maine or the broader crime network described in federal reports. Further details have not been disclosed at this time
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