Doj Charges Seven Chinese Nationals In Multi-million Dollar Marijuana Trafficking Ring

The Justice Department charged 7 Chinese nationals this week for allegedly operating a multi-million dollar marijuana trafficking ring.

Authorities in Massachusetts arrested six of nan defendants connected Tuesday morning, but 1 remains astatine large. The DOJ says nan migrants were smuggled crossed nan U.S.-Mexico separator to activity successful marijuana turn houses and had their passports withheld "until they repaid their smuggling debts."

"This lawsuit pulls backmost nan curtain connected a sprawling criminal endeavor that exploited our migration strategy and our communities for individual gain," said U.S. Attorney Leah Foley. 

"These defendants allegedly turned quiet homes crossed nan Northeast into hubs for a criminal endeavor – building a multi-million-dollar black-market cognition disconnected nan backs of an forbidden workforce and utilizing our neighborhoods arsenic cover. That ends today," she added.

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The DOJ announced nan apprehension of 7 Chinese nationals. Pictured is suspect Hongbin Wu, 35, wearing a "money laundering" shirt. (Department of Justice)

Authorities opportunity nan marijuana ringing began operations astir January 2020, focusing mostly connected Massachusetts and Maine. Prosecutors declare nan turn location operators maintained interaction pinch each different done a database of marijuana cultivators and distributors from aliases pinch ties to China successful nan region called nan "East Coast Contact List."

DEA ARRESTS 4 IN COLORADO WITH SUSPECTED TIES TO SINALOA CARTEL, TREN DE ARAGUA

The DOJ says 1 location successful Braintree, Massachusetts, served arsenic a hub for nan network. Authorities conducting a hunt of nan location recovered complete $270,000 successful rate wrong nan location and wrong a Porsche parked successful its driveway.

An alleged marijuana turn location successful Massachusetts wherever authorities recovered astir $300,000 successful cash.

They besides recovered respective Chinese passports and different recognition documents wrong a safe.

SAN DIEGO AUTHORITIES ARREST 3 NONCITIZENS ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN TRANSPORTING MORE THAN $5M WORTH OF METH

The DOJ says nan ringleader of nan group was Jianxiong Chen, 39, but nan others charged successful nan lawsuit are Yuxiong Wu, 36; Dinghui Li, 38; Dechao Ma, 35; Peng Lian Zhu, 35; and Hongbin Wu, 35, arsenic good arsenic Yanrong Zhu, 47, who remains astatine large.

Roughly 50 kilograms of marijuana seized from a Chinese nationalist successful nan US. (Department of Justice)

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Additional October 2024 searches of turn houses located successful Braintree and Melrose wherever Ma and Zhu allegedly resided, respectively, resulted successful nan seizure of complete 109 kilograms of marijuana, astir $200,000 successful rate and galore luxury items including a golden Rolex watch pinch a $65,000 value tag still connected it, nan DOJ said.