Collins questions Homeland Security and FBI directors on illegal marijuana operations

Screen shot from video recording / Courtesy Office of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins U.S. Sen. Susan Collin, R-Maine, at the recent Appropriations Committee hearing.

Write a Comment

During hearings this week on the fiscal year 2026 budget for the departments of Homeland Security and the FBI, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked officials about their efforts to assist Maine law enforcement in closing down illegal Chinese marijuana growing operations.

Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, referred to what she said are more than 270 Chinese-backed illegal marijuana operations in Maine alone. The operations generate an estimated $4.3 billion in revenue.

The senator said the grow houses are run by Chinese organized crime syndicates with ties to the Chinese Communist Party and that the DHS had issued a memo in August 2023 in which it identified the operations.

Addressing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Collins said local law enforcement has been working to curtail the operations but needs more federal support.

“I hope that the president's more detailed budget request includes funding that can be used to help supplement the county, state and local law enforcement efforts,” Collins said.

“The DEA [Drug Enforcement Agency] has also been involved. IRS has been involved. The FBI is starting to get involved. But DHS obviously has an important role to play. So I hope you will commit today to joining this all-of-government effort to shut down these dangerous, illegal grow houses," she added.

At least 22 states have found illegal grow operations with ties to transnational criminal organizations in China, she said.

Noem responded, “You pointing out the fact that we have investments in this country, businesses, and marijuana grow houses that have a presence of ties to the PRC [People’s Republic of China] is incredibly alarming. So, I agree that we should work together to see what we can do.

“This is alarming that we have China, not only are they stealing our IP, manipulating their currency, but they're building a presence in this country as well. And so everything that we can do to make sure that we're addressing that and not allowing them to get a foothold within the center of our country and in our important states like Maine is incredibly important.”

Collins also questioned FBI Director Dash Patel about the issue, noting that she had discussed it with Patel prior to his confirmation. Collins said she had also raised the issue with Patel’s predecessor, at last year's hearing, during which former director Christopher Wary confirmed the connection between these illegal marijuana grow operations and Chinese criminal organizations.

“Has the FBI developed a strategy and dedicated resources toward combating these illegal marijuana grows that are tied to transnational criminal organizations in China?” Collins asked.

Patel said he was aware of the problem and that he has “reprioritized assets” to address the grow operations in Maine and has prioritized intelligence collection against the CCP tied to the marijuana grow houses.

“We have numerous new investigations open on just these matters alone, but the field is telling me what you're telling me, we need more folks out there. I'm trying to put them out there as fast as I can, but I also can't cripple the needs in Washington, D.C., so we're doing it in a timeline fashion of 30-, 60-, 90-day pushes as best as we can.”

Collins’ office said the senator has raised the issue at several hearings and has on multiple occasions starting in 2022, sent letters to the Maine DEA, the former U.S. Attorney General, urging the Department of Justice to shut down these operations.