The raid of an illegal marijuana farm in Machias on December 14, which netted 2,600 plants and saw the arrest of three men, all of whom appear to be foreign nationals, may be linked with a greater statewide problem. According to a leaked memo initially distributed within the U.S. Border Patrol, there may be as many as 270 illegal marijuana farms in Maine valued at more than $4 billion, all with links to China.
      The memo, which was originally obtained in August by The Daily Caller, an online news source, prompted a slew of media and political attention. Within a week, the Maine congressional delegation - including Senators Angus King and Susan Collins and Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden - wrote to the U.S. attorney general requesting more information on the situation and urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take action. "These illegal growing operations are detrimental to Maine businesses that comply with state laws, and we urge the DOJ to shut them down," the letter reads.
      State law enforcement has been consistently tight lipped on the subject beyond confirming general awareness. According to the memo, most of the properties in question are located along I 95, being "the main transport route for bulk cash, illegal narcotics, illegal aliens as this is the most desirable route throughout the state of Maine. I 95 begins in Miami, Florida, and ends near New Brunswick. This route enables smugglers through the many connecting routes which may allow access to many adjoining states."
      The profits derived from the illegal grow farms are either sent directly back to China, recirculated into the black market or shared with Mexican cartels, depending on the particular transaction, the memo states.
      Recent raids in the state suggest that federal and state law enforcement partners are taking the problem seriously. On January 2 in Belgrade 2,300 marijuana plants were seized and two men were arrested: Yuequan Chen of Massachusetts and Li Min Chan of Florida. The same day in the town of China, three other individuals, Changgeng Chen, Bing Xu and Aiqin Chen, were arrested with a 970 plant operation.

Connections with Machias raid
      The December raid in Machias is the first with connections to foreign nationals to have taken place in Washington County, although Machias Police Chief Keith Mercier suspects "there are some more grow operations" to be found.
      The three men arrested in Machias, Dong Yang Li, Ming Li and Peng You Phang, are not U.S. citizens. Two produced Malaysian passports and the third produced a Chinese passport. They all appear to be legitimate, Mercier says.
      The Machias grow farm, which was located inside a residence and two barns at 414 East Kennebec Road, had been operating for approximately one year, Mercier estimates. The owner of the property is listed as HBA Properties, which acquired it in December 2021, according to public records. HBA Properties is based in Massachusetts; it was originally organized in January 2021 with Fanny Sun listed as a current officer and Sinh Phat Voong listed as a previous officer. The property is valued at approximately $350,000, according to Zillow. During the original purchase, Sun agreed to a two year $150,000 mortgage paid to the previous owner, Manna Pan of Castle Rock, Colorado.
      The investigation, which was conducted with federal and state law enforcement, took about four to six weeks, Mercier says.
      Noting that "the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) is unable to comment" on the Machias case, Commander Peter Arno of the MDEA states: "As a matter of course, when the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency uncovers, becomes aware of, or receives intelligence about illegal drug activity in Maine, it works closely with federal and local partners to determine the best course of action to disrupt and dismantle illegal drug activities in Maine and to ensure the successful prosecution of such activities."