Triad Weed: Here Are All the Raids Maine Cops Have Conducted on Illegal Chinese Drug Trafficking Operations

Hundreds of illegal Marijuana grow sites operated by Asian Transnational Criminal Organizations have cropped up throughout Maine.

Since the Maine Wire started reporting on the locations of this illicit drug trafficking hubs and identifying the owners and operators, law enforcement has increasingly begun to crack down on the criminal operations.

Although more than 200 sites remain operational in rural Maine, here’s a running list of the properties where law enforcement agencies have executed search warrants, arrested drug traffickers, and seized illegally grown cannabis.

[RELATED: Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ Brother Helped Transfer Nine-Acre Black Market Cannabis Grow to Chinese National “Mother” Living in Guangdong Province…]

TRIAD WEED

Carmel Bust: June 23, 2023

• Over 3,400 marijuana plants and 111 lbs of processed marijuana seized;
• Four arrests: Yong Chao Huang, 53; Weihan Huang, 51; LuMing Chen, 51; Jun Zheng Luo;
• All four charged with Illegal Cultivation of Marijuana.

Wilton Bust: November 28, 2023

• 1,311 live marijuana plants, 200 lbs of illegally cultivated dried marijuana seized;
• No arrests made public, general manager said the facility was operated by four Asian men who said they were from Calif., Wash., N.Y., and Mass.;
• Property (128 Weld Rd., Wilton) owned by Travis Gray Trucking, said he had no knowledge of the grow operation.

Machias Bust: December 14, 2023

• 2,607 live marijuana plants and more than 100 lbs of processed cannabis seized;
• Three arrests: Ming Li, 52, of Machias; Dong Yang Li, 60, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Peng You Phang, 61, of Machias;
• All three charged with Illegal Cultivation of Marijuana and Unlawful Trafficking in Scheduled Drugs;
• Property (434 E. Kennebec Rd., Machias) purchased by HBA Properties, Mass.-based company in 2021 — company officers are Fanny Sun, Qiao Yi Wu, Sinh Phat Voong, and Zhan Su.

China Bust: December 30, 2023

• 970 marijuana plants and “many seedlings” seized;
• Three arrests: Changgeng Chen, male, 36; Bing Xu, male, 41; Aiqin Chen, female, 43;
• All three charged with Unlawful Trafficking of Scheduled Drugs;
• Property (1144 Route 3, China) purchased by Yuzhen Chen, 41, in October 2023.

Belgrade Bust: January 2, 2024

• Two operations, 2,300 live marijuana plants seized;
• Two men arrested: Yequan Chen, 44, of Mass.; Lin Min Chan, 66, of Fla.;
• Both men charged with Illegal Cultivation of Marijuana and Unlawful Trafficking in Scheduled Drugs;
• First property (24 Guptill Rd., Belgrade) purchased by Ying Ci Mei, 50, of Brooklyn, N.Y., in February 2021;
• Second property (130 Point Rd., Belgrade) purchased by Siu Yin Huang, 65, of Uncasville Conn., in Aug. 2021.

Whitefield Bust: January 10, 2024

• 1,014 plants seized;
• No arrests. Police issued an arrest warrent for Xiangming Yi, 61, who fled the scene before police arrived;
• Property (34 Clover Lane, Whitefield) purchased by Hongxia Kuang of Brooklyn N.Y. with mortgage origionated by Yingchan Weng at Quontic Bank;
• Raid carried out by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office.

Cornville Bust: January 17, 2024

• 750 plants and 90 pounds of processed marijuana seized;
• Three arrests: Huansheng Mai, 74; Yuling Mei, 63; Yiming Hu, 68;
• All three charged with Illegal Cultivation of Marijuana and Unlawful Trafficking in Scheduled Drugs;
• Raid carried out by the Somerset Sheriff’s Department.

Chelsea/Whitefield Busts: January 31, 2024

• Weihuan Liu, 41, of Brooklyn, N.Y.: Arrested during the raid of 91 Jefferson Road. More than 700 plants and 40 lbs of processed marijuana seized;
• Huan Ying Li, 57, formerly of NYC. Arrested during the raid of 333 North Howe Road, Whitefield. Nearly 30 pounds of processed marijuana seized. According to Lincoln County property records, Li purchased the property in November 2019;
• Zhen Zhong Chen, 45, the property owner of 170 Rockland Road, Jefferson, was arrested at his residence after the seizure of 820 plants;
• Ming Da Li, 41, of Brooklyn, N.Y., arrested at 754 Cooper Road, Chelsea, after the seizure of nearly 900 plants. According to property records, the residence was purchased Aug. 2020 by Xinqiao Huang of Brooklyn, N.Y.;
• Wan Ting Xiao, 50, of San Gabriel, Calif., arrested at 19 Abby Lane, Whitefield, after the seizure of 2,294 plants and 40 pounds of processed marijuana;
• Ding Zhan Liao, 49, of Brooklyn, N.Y., also arrested at 19 Abby Lane;
• 61-year-old Xiangming Yi fled Whitefield grow and was arrested nearly two weeks later along with Hongxia Kuang, 52, whom he implicated;
• Total: 6,600 marijuana plants seized. Eight arrests.

Turner Bust: January 31, 2024

• 2,500 plants seized;
• Police responded after the fire department was called when neighbors believed they saw a large ammount of smoke coming from the property, which firefighters believed was actually steam coming as a biproduct of marijuana cultivation;
• No arrests;
• Property (2509 Auburn Rd., Turner) owned by Liming Yu, 27, of Quincy Mass.;
• In 2023, Chaoming Lei claimed to be the owner of the property and requested upgrades of the electrical system;
• Raid carried out by the Androscoggin Sheriff’s Department.

Norridgewock Bust: February 8, 2024

• 2,000 plants and 10 lbs of cultivated marijuana seized along with a 2016 Ford Transit and other, unspecified drug paraphenalia;
• No arrests;
• Property located on Riverside Dr. Norridgewock;
• Raid carried out by the Somerset Sheriff’s Department.

Corinna Bust: February 9, 2024

• 3,770 plants seized;
• No arrests;
• Neighbors were pressured to sell their properties by the criminals operating the grow;
• Property (9 St. Albans Rd., Corinna) purchased by 336 Apex LLC, a company owned by Wen Hui Li, who also owns other properties in Maine;
• Raid carried out by the Penobscot Sheriff’s Department.

Mercer Bust: February 9, 2024

• 553 Plants and an unspecified ammount of dried marijuana seized;
• No arrests;
• Property (204 Rome Rd., Mercer) Yong Yuan Wu, 43, of Brooklyn, using a Quontic Bank mortgage originated by Ying-Chan Weng;
• Raid carried out by the Somerset Sheriff’s Department.

Sangerville/Guilford Bust: February 9, 2024

• 2,200 plants seized;
• One male arrested, police did not reveal his name;
• First Property (8 Manhanock Pond Rd., Sangerville) purchased by N.Y. based 934 Real Property, LLC, owned by in Chi Xu, 53, and Xing Xiu Guan, 56;
• Second Property (522 Water St., Guilford) owned by Yuanwei Huang, 39, of Quincy, Mass. who purchased it in cash;
• Two Warrants were also executed on North Dexter Rd., Sangerville, which was subject to a later bust;
• Raid Carried out by the Piscataquis Sheriff’s Department.

Norridgewock Bust: February 14, 2024

• 1,310 Plants and an unspecified amount of cultivated marijuana seized;
• One arrested: Zunjie Wu, 26, of Brooklyn, N.Y. was charged with Cultivation of Marijuana and Trafficking Scheduled Drugs;
• Property (108 Betterment Rd., Norridgewock) owned by Tiffany Zhu, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, who also owns a property on Round Top Road in Bingham;
• Raid carried out by the Somerset Sheriff’s Department.

Passadumkeag Bust: February 22, 2024

• 40 lbs of processed marijuana seized, and an unspecified number of live plants, along with $4,700 in cash and a small amount of methamphetamine;
• One arrest: Xisen Guo, 67, of N.Y.’ police also detained two other men, but released them for unspecified reasons;
• Operators buried waste from the operation near local pond;
• Guo charged with Unlawful Trafficking in Scheduled drugs;
• Property located at 549 Main Rd., Passadumkeag;
• Raid carried out by the Penobscott Sheriff’s Department.

Madison Bust: February 22, 2024

• 1,476 plants and an unspecified amount of processed marijuana seized;
• No arrests;
• Property located on East Madison Rd., Madison;
• Raid carried out by the Somerset Sheriff’s Department in conjunction with numerous state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Madison Bust: February 26, 2024

• 449 plants and 52 lbs of processed marijuana seized;
• No arrests;
• Property (22 Foss Rd., Madison) owned by the N.Y. based 22 Foss Inc. which is registered to Qing Chan Zhu, 41, of Brooklyn;
• Police found an abused dog at the property and sent it to the Madison Animal Welfare Office;
• Raid carried out by the Somerset Sheriff’s Department with aid from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Border Patrol agents.

Sangerville Bust: February 29, 2024

• 2,200 plants and 100 lbs of processed marijuana seized;
• No arrests were made;
• Property located on North Dexter Rd., Sangerville;
• Raid carried out by the Piscataquis Sheriff’s Department with support from two local police departments, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP), and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and Sangerville Animal Control.

Skowhegan Bust: March 1, 2024

• 4,760 plants along with $7,000 in cash and a 2022 Toyota Tacoma;
• Three arrests: Yao Bin Cheng, age 61, Ying Xia Liao, age 59, and Xi Qiang Zhao, 56, all of Brooklyn, N.Y. All three were charged with Unlawful Trafficking of Scheduled Drugs and Cultivation of Marijuana;
• All three were issued $10,000 bails, and given a court date in June;
• Property on Waterville Rd, Skowhegan;
• Raid carried out by the Somerset Sheriff’s Department.

Guilford/Abbot Bust: March 7, 2024

•  2,580 plants and 52 lbs of processed marijuana seized along with a 2015 Audi SUV and $11,280 in cash;
• One arrest: Jing Kang Zhu of N.Y.;
• First Property located on Glass Hill Rd., Guilford;
• Second Property (9 Bates Rd., Abbot) purchased by Steven Chen of Edison, N.J. and transfered to the N.Y. corporation 9 Bates Inc., owned by Yong Qiang Chen of Brooklyn N.Y.;
• Raid carried out by the Piscataquis Sheriff’s Department with support from two local police departments, the DHS, OCP, and DEA.

Madison/Norridgewock Bust: March 25, 2024

• 900 plants and 30 lbs of processed marijuana seized along with $39,000 in cash, a 2022 Toyota SUV, and various drug paraphenalia;
• Jiamin Liao, 29, was arrested and charged with Unlawful Trafficking in Scheduled Drugs, but almost immediately posted the $10,000 cash bail and was released;
• First Property (107 Perkins St., Norridgewock) raided on March 18, owned by Patrick Yam of East Elmhurst, N.Y. with a mortgage from Quotonic Bank;
• Second Property (114 Upper Main St, Norridgewock) owned by Liao who purchased the property with cash;
• Third Property (571 Thurston Hill Rd., Madison) also owned by Liao who listed a N.Y. address on the deed but a California address on the mortgage papers;
• Raids carried out by the Somerset Sheriff’s Department.

Totals:

• 43,632 plants and 895 lbs of dried marijuana seized along with $61,980 in cash and ;
• 31 arrests, although many have been released on bail;
• 31 properties raided.