Marijuana Grow Operation in Michigan Tied to Chinese Nationals and International Crime Network
Massive Michigan pot bust tied to Chinese crime ring, police say.
ALABASTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A marijuana grow operation uncovered in rural Michigan has been linked to an international crime ring involving Chinese nationals, according to the Iosco County Prosecutor’s Office.
Four Chinese nationals were charged after Michigan State Police raided a warehouse in Alabaster Township on May 29, 2025. Inside, investigators discovered 5,057 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, from clones to fully flowering plants. The estimated value of the seized crop exceeds $5 million.
Iosco County Prosecutor James A. Bacarella said the suspects—identified as Meiqing Chen, Zhenhong Nei, Wenying Wu, and Changning Zhen—were all in the U.S. legally but now face charges of possessing marijuana with intent to deliver and maintaining a drug manufacturing facility. The charges carry prison terms of up to 15 years and 2 years, respectively.
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The bust appears to be part of a larger, organized criminal network that spans multiple U.S. states and reaches into China. Authorities said evidence discovered at an apartment in the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base further tied the suspects to the grow operation.
Troopers later spotted the suspects traveling southbound on U.S. 23. A traffic stop revealed the four individuals inside the vehicle. Police said the GPS on the driver’s phone was set for a destination in New York, indicating they may have been attempting to flee.
Three of the suspects—Chen, Wu, and Zhen—have pleaded not guilty. The fourth, Nei, is currently in ICE custody and has yet to be arraigned.
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Local officials praised the efforts of state police and narcotics investigators in uncovering what they describe as a sophisticated, multi-state operation tied to Chinese networks.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Funny that MSM never reports this, MI has had more crimes committed by CCP nationals than any other state. There is an also a process to obtain a license to be a legal growing facility. They are not legal, if someone thinks they were, they simply blew off their student visas and it would be no great shock to know that the SOS gave them an ID, that does not make them LEGAL
These are the type of immigrants that need to be deported. It's ironic that they are going to have their due process in courts. But those sent to an El Salvadoran prison didn't get due process and it was ordered to bring those back. But instead Trump imports 17 members of a Mexican drug cartel family. Absurd!