Chen’s Multi-Million-Dollar Drug Ring Busted in Mass.

BOSTON – Seven Chinese nationals, including Jianxiong Chen, 39, of Braintree, Mass., were charged today for their alleged roles in a multi-million-dollar conspiracy to cultivate and distribute marijuana across the Northeast. The ring operated interconnected grow houses inside single-family homes in Massachusetts and Maine.

Chen, the alleged ringleader, faces additional charges including money laundering conspiracy and bringing aliens into the United States. He is accused of smuggling Chinese nationals into the U.S. to work in these grow houses without passports until they repaid their debts.

The defendants were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, along with various money laundering charges. Yanrong Zhu, 47, of Greenfield, Mass., remains a fugitive.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley called the operation an exploitation of our immigration system and local communities for personal gain. “This case pulls back the curtain on a sprawling criminal enterprise that turned quiet homes into hubs for a multi-million-dollar black-market operation,” she said.

Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, highlighted the need for sustained law enforcement efforts to shut down similar operations. “Jianxiong Chen is charged with smuggling a Chinese national across the Mexican border, underscoring the complexity and reach of these organized criminal enterprises,” he said.

Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble of the Massachusetts State Police emphasized the resolve to support safer communities. “Our troopers used their training and skill in Operation to disrupt these illicit growing activities and improve quality of life across Massachusetts,” he said. According to charging documents, the enterprise operated from January 2020, with connections to marijuana cultivators and distributors from China through a regional “East Coast Contact List.”