Congressional Hearing: CCP Uses Illegal Marijuana to Establish Crime Networks and Invade the US

House Homeland Security Committee Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee Chairman, Republican Congressman from Oklahoma Josh Brecheen at the September 18 hearing.  

[People News] "A group of Chinese citizens associated with foreign criminal organizations crossed the southern border and sneaked into rural Oklahoma. Sneaking in with them were some workers lured by false promises of good jobs in the US. Upon arriving in Oklahoma, these Chinese citizens made an offer to local residents that was hard to refuse: they promised to use their time and identities to purchase a nearby piece of land for hundreds of thousands of dollars. In return, the residents could unconditionally receive a portion of the profits. The deal was quick and simple. Within days, this newly purchased land turned into a site for large-scale illegal marijuana cultivation."  

The US House Homeland Security Committee Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee held a related hearing on Thursday (September 18) titled "Invading the Homeland: How the CCP Uses Illegal Gateways to Establish Crime Networks in the US." Subcommittee Chairman, Republican Congressman from Oklahoma Josh Brecheen, described the process of Chinese citizens obtaining land in the US for illegal marijuana cultivation in his opening remarks.  

He continued to describe the operations of these illegal marijuana farms. He said that workers on the marijuana farms were forced to work 14 hours a day under the surveillance of armed guards, restricted to cramped living spaces with minimal tap water and air conditioning. At the same time, the marijuana farms used pesticides banned in the US.  

"Then, hundreds of pounds of illegal contaminated marijuana are produced and ultimately flow into the hands of people across the United States from Oklahoma to New York." He said.  

Brecheen said that the CCP crime network infiltrating Oklahoma is just the tip of the iceberg; this network spans the entire United States. Not only that, these illegal plantings have also led to broader crimes.  

"Many CCP illegal planting operations serve as fronts for broader criminal groups, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, prostitution, arms smuggling, and money laundering. Although the example I emphasized occurred in our home state of Oklahoma, similar patterns have appeared in other states such as Maine, Massachusetts, and California. In fact, across our entire country, including tribal lands and national parks, there are thousands of such planting sites."  

Senior member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee from Michigan, Shri Thanedar, mentioned Chinese people illegally growing marijuana in Michigan in his speech at the hearing. In early July, four Chinese citizens were arrested for growing marijuana worth $5 million in northern Michigan.  

Thanedar said that the billions of dollars in profits from illegal marijuana provide funding for the CCP's "Belt and Road" initiative in its competition with the US for global influence.  

Donnie Anderson is the director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. He stated at the hearing that he believes the CCP government has shown interest in Oklahoma's marijuana industry. "We have documented fund transfers to Chinese banks, as well as connections to enterprises controlled by the CCP government." He said.  

He mentioned that many illegal marijuana farms are even located near critical infrastructure, including military bases and important pipelines.  
This individual with 34 years of experience in public safety and drug enforcement said that given the CCP's cyber espionage networks and the secret police stations the CCP has set up among Chinese residents in the US, he believes the CCP has access to these illegal planting sites.  
Christopher Urben was once a special agent and executive at the US Drug Enforcement Administration. He said that in his 24-year career, he personally witnessed the growing expansion of CCP transnational criminal organizations in the US. In the last five years of his career, he particularly focused on the CCP's money laundering networks, as they pose a threat to the US financial system.  

"The CCP money laundering networks launder money for numerous criminal organizations, including: Chinese suppliers providing precursor chemicals needed for fentanyl production to Mexico; Mexican drug cartels manufacturing fentanyl and other drugs for sale to the US; human trafficking networks; global operations corrupting government authorities; wildlife traffickers; and black market marijuana growers and distributors in the US from Mexico and other countries."  

House Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Subcommittee Chairman Brecheen said that this crime network must be eradicated from US soil. He said: "A crime network colluding with our foreign number one adversary and operating comprehensively poses a potential threat to our homeland that cannot be ignored."  

The issue of illegal marijuana cultivation related to the CCP is increasingly attracting the attention of US congressmen.  
In 2024, Republican Senator from Iowa Chuck Grassley said that illegal marijuana activities related to the CCP in the US have surged. He also stated that thousands of licensed medical marijuana businesses in Oklahoma "were flagged for suspicious activities in the past year, these businesses have connections to the CCP."  

Republican Senator from Maine Susan Collins has also repeatedly expressed concerns to federal officials at hearings about marijuana grow houses in Maine related to the CCP. △