7 Charged in New England Marijuana Trafficking Ring

Seven Chinese nationals have been charged in federal court with operating a multimillion-dollar illegal marijuana trafficking ring across Massachusetts and Maine, using hundreds of single-family homes as covert grow houses since 2020. Jianxiong Chen is identified as the alleged ringleader, while Yanrong Zhu remains a fugitive. The operation allegedly smuggled Chinese nationals into the U.S. to work as forced laborers, withholding their passports until smuggling debts were repaid. Authorities report that millions in drug proceeds were laundered through real estate and other assets. The charges include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, money laundering, and bringing aliens into the country. The case is part of a broader DOJ effort to target transnational criminal organizations exploiting the immigration system and labor trafficking in New England.