Chinese Organized Crime in the State of Maine

In the quiet, rural landscapes of Maine, a sprawling criminal enterprise has taken root, transforming single-family homes into covert marijuana grow houses. Federal authorities have recently exposed a multi-million-dollar operation allegedly orchestrated by Chinese nationals with ties to organized crime, raising alarms about drug trafficking, human smuggling, and money laundering across the Northeast. At the heart of this controversy is an unexpected figure: Peter Mills, the brother of Maine Governor Janet Mills, who has been linked to property transfers facilitating these illicit operations. While no charges have been filed against Mills, his involvement has sparked intense scrutiny and questions about oversight, corruption, and the unchecked spread of Chinese triads in rural America.

A Hidden Empire in Plain Sight

The story first gained national attention in late 2023, when The Maine Wire, a local investigative outlet, began reporting on the proliferation of Chinese-operated marijuana grow houses across rural Maine. According to their findings, hundreds of properties—potentially 300 to 400—have been converted into sophisticated grow operations, often with little interference from local or state law enforcement. These homes, tucked away in small towns, are used to cultivate and distribute kilogram-sized quantities of marijuana, generating millions in illicit profits. The operations are allegedly run by Chinese nationals, many with connections to organized crime networks, including groups referred to as Chinese triads.

On July 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of six Chinese nationals, with a seventh, Yanrong Zhu, still at large, in connection with a multi-year conspiracy to cultivate and distribute marijuana across Maine and Massachusetts. The defendants, led by Jianxiong Chen of Braintree, Massachusetts, allegedly operated a network of interconnected grow houses, using single-family homes in towns like Braintree, Melrose, Greenfield, and multiple locations in Maine. Federal prosecutors describe the operation as a “sprawling criminal enterprise” that began around January 2020, exploiting smuggled Chinese nationals as labor and laundering profits to purchase luxury homes, cars, jewelry, and additional real estate to expand their network.

The grow houses are sophisticated, often equipped with advanced irrigation and lighting systems, but they leave a trail of destruction. Many properties are rendered uninhabitable due to the use of unlicensed, neurotoxic pesticides smuggled from China, mixed with sawdust and burned to fumigate the plants. These practices not only pose health risks to consumers but also contaminate homes, leaving them toxic and devalued. The Maine Wire reported that after operations cease, some homes are rehabbed and sold without full disclosure of their prior use, potentially endangering unsuspecting buyers.

The Governor’s Brother: A Troubling Connection

The most shocking revelation in this saga is the alleged involvement of Peter Mills, Governor Janet Mills’ brother, who reportedly acted as an attorney and notary for property transfers linked to these illegal grow operations. According to The Maine Wire, Mills facilitated the transfer of a nine-acre property in Maine to a Chinese national living in Guangdong Province, identified as the “mother” of one of the operation’s key figures. This property was later used as a black-market cannabis grow site. While Mills has not been charged with any wrongdoing, his role as a real estate transfer attorney for individuals connected to Chinese organized crime has raised eyebrows and fueled speculation about corruption at the state level.

In an interview with Tucker Carlson on July 10, 2025, The Maine Wire Editor-in-Chief Steve Robinson suggested that the lack of action from state authorities could only be explained by systemic corruption, including “small bribes” to code enforcement officers and police departments. “It’s really the only way that explains the lack of action,” Robinson stated, pointing to the Mills connection as a potential indicator of deeper issues. The documentary High Crimes: The Chinese Mafia’s Takeover of Rural America, produced by The Maine Wire in partnership with the Tucker Carlson Network, further amplified these claims, alleging that Chinese organized crime has operated with near impunity in Maine.

Governor Janet Mills has not publicly addressed her brother’s involvement, and her office did not respond to requests for comment on this story. Critics, including the Massachusetts Republican Party, have accused Democratic leadership in both Maine and Massachusetts of enabling these operations by failing to act until federal intervention forced their hand. Paul Diego Craney, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, told the Boston Herald that state leaders allowed the network to run with “impunity,” underscoring the need for federal authorities to step in.

Human Smuggling and Exploited Labor

Beyond the cultivation of marijuana, the operation’s reliance on human smuggling has drawn significant concern. Prosecutors allege that the defendants smuggled Chinese nationals across the U.S.-Mexico border, withholding their passports until they worked off their smuggling debts in the grow houses. These workers, often held under coercive conditions, were forced to toil in hazardous environments, exposed to toxic pesticides and the constant threat of violence. A safe found in one of the raided properties contained multiple passports, corroborating claims of exploitation.‡web:18⁊

The network’s coordination was facilitated through an “East Coast Contact List,” a roster of marijuana cultivators and distributors with ties to China, allowing operators to maintain contact across Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and beyond. This level of organization suggests a highly structured enterprise, potentially linked to Chinese triads—criminal syndicates known for their involvement in drug trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling worldwide.

A National Security Concern?

The scale of the operation has prompted broader questions about national security and the influence of foreign criminal organizations in rural America. U.S. Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, called for action against Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked marijuana operations in May 2025, a call that was answered by the DOJ’s recent arrests. The involvement of Chinese nationals and the use of illicit profits to purchase real estate have raised fears of foreign influence and economic manipulation in small communities.

The Boston Herald reported that the raids in Maine and Massachusetts, conducted by the FBI, DEA, Massachusetts State Police, and local law enforcement, seized over 109 kilograms of marijuana, nearly $200,000 in cash, and luxury items, including a $65,000 Rolex watch. These seizures highlight the operation’s profitability and its deep integration into local economies.

Why Was Action Delayed?

One of the most perplexing aspects of this story is the apparent lack of state-level response until federal authorities intervened. The Maine Wire noted that the first major case went to court just one week before President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, raising questions about why state and local law enforcement allowed these operations to flourish for years. Some speculate that Maine’s legalization of recreational marijuana in 2016 created a gray area, enabling illegal grows to blend in with legitimate operations. The influx of Chinese-grown marijuana has also undercut legal growers, driving many out of business.

Critics argue that lax oversight, combined with allegations of bribery and political connections, allowed the triads to establish a foothold. The involvement of Quontic Bank, which reportedly provided loans for 70 properties converted into grow houses in Maine, further complicates the narrative, suggesting financial institutions may have been complicit, knowingly or not.

The Road Ahead

As federal investigations continue, the focus remains on dismantling the remaining grow houses and apprehending fugitives like Yanrong Zhu. The FBI and DOJ have emphasized the need for sustained, multi-agency efforts to combat these organized crime networks. For Maine residents, the revelations have shattered the perception of their state as a quiet, safe haven, exposing vulnerabilities to international crime.

The connection to Governor Mills’ brother, while not evidence of her direct involvement, has cast a shadow over her administration. Calls for transparency and accountability are growing, with many demanding answers about how such a large-scale operation went unchecked for so long. As The Maine Wire continues its reporting and federal authorities deepen their probe, the full extent of Chinese organized crime’s grip on Maine—and its ties to the state’s political landscape—may yet come to light.

For now, the story serves as a stark reminder that even in America’s rural heartlands, the reach of global crime networks is closer than anyone imagined.

Sources: The Maine Wire, VOR News