America has a marijuana problem, and it isn’t just its high potency, easy availability, or widespread use among young and old alike. One of the biggest problems in the marijuana industry is the presence of illegal marijuana operations run by Chinese criminal networks. From California to Maine, Chinese nationals — many with ties to the Chinese Communist Party — are endangering rural areas, poisoning Americans, and engaging in human trafficking. In a recent demand for a federal investigation into these criminal organizations, four Republican senators highlighted the serious threat that these operations pose to the safety and security of our communities.
The presence of illegal Chinese marijuana growers poses significant risks to public health and safety. These criminal enterprises operate with little regard for regulations or quality control, putting consumers at risk of ingesting dangerous substances. They buy and destroy homes by turning them into “grow houses” and either steal electricity or rig the buildings with shoddy electrical wiring that has caused numerous fires. They import toxic, often illegal, pesticides for use on the plants. Slave laborers are illegally brought to the United States to work in overcrowded and unsanitary facilities, and Chinese women are trafficked for prostitution as part of transnational criminal organizations.
Examples from across the country in recent years include:
In August 2026, six Chinese nationals were indicted for their alleged participation in a large-scale grow in Las Vegas involving over 1,000 marijuana plants in four grow houses. Three of the defendants are in the country illegally.
In July 2025, seven Chinese nationals were indicted in Massachusetts for conspiracy to cultivate marijuana concealed in single-family homes throughout that state and neighboring Maine.
In June 2025, a Chinese national was arrested in Oklahoma after 40,723 marijuana plants and more than 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana were confiscated. In addition, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained 15 people found working at clandestine facilities, and authorities confiscated six handguns and three silencers.
In December 2024, eight Chinese nationals were charged after two huge marijuana farms were found hiding in plain sight in South Georgia.
In August 2024, three Chinese nationals were arrested in Kern County, California. Police seized 17,600 marijuana plants and over 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana from an underground operation equipped with sophisticated electrical and ventilation and cooling systems that operated off a large diesel-powered commercial generator.
In November 2022, a quadruple murder involving Chinese gangsters exposed the violent and extensive network of these marijuana mafia operators.
Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Tom Cotton (R-AR) last week sent a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, urging the Department of Justice to investigate the growing role of Chinese transnational criminal organizations in America’s cannabis and intoxicating-hemp markets.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment found that Chinese transnational criminal organizations dominate marijuana cultivation and distribution in the United States, especially in states with legal cannabis markets,” the Senators wrote.
CHINA’S NEXT TARGET ISN’T AMERICA. IT’S OUR ALLIES
“These organizations purchase and lease American land for illegal grow operations, traffic foreign workers, and use toxic pesticides and fertilizers shipped from China, including chemicals banned in the United States. We therefore request that the DOJ fully investigate these criminal networks, including their financing, land usage, chemical imports, and any connections to the Chinese Communist Party.”
A concerted effort is needed to address the threat posed by illegal Chinese marijuana growers across the nation. Congress has held several hearings on the issue over the years, but more needs to be done. Chinese nationals should not be allowed to buy farmland and homes in the U.S. Federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department, need to work in tandem to root out this national security threat. We must act now to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law.
Kristen A. Ullman is president of Eagle Forum.