US Indicts Chinese Nationals, US Citizens Accused of Distributing 220 Pounds of Marijuana

The individuals could face a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and up to a $5 million fine, the DOJ stated.

The U.S. Department of Justice headquarters in Washington on Aug. 29, 2020. Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Four Chinese nationals and two U.S. citizens have been indicted on charges of racketeering and distributing 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of marijuana, the Department of Justice said on June 25.

The DOJ stated that three of the individuals—Hanjie Wu, 25; Yilei Zhou, 35; and Zihang Zeng, 24—are Chinese nationals who had been illegally residing in the United States.

Federal authorities also charged Like Chen, a 34-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from China; Wei Bin Chen, a 34-year-old permanent resident from China; and Aaron Steele, 45, from Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

All six individuals were indicted on May 22 for “conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, a mixture and substance containing one hundred (100) kilograms or more of a detectable amount of marijuana,” the DOJ stated.

Wu and Steele faced additional charges for traveling through three states—Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi—to promote and facilitate illicit drug trafficking activities, the DOJ stated.

The individuals could face a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and up to a $5 million fine if found guilty of the drug conspiracy charge. Those charged with interstate travel in aid of racketeering face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted, according to the DOJ.

It remains unclear whether the defendants have been assigned legal representation at the time of writing.

The Trump administration has ramped up efforts to curb the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs into the United States. The State Department said on June 26 that a new visa restriction policy aimed at preventing the entry of “drug traffickers, their family members, and close personal and business associates” into the United States as part of an effort to deter drug trafficking operations in the country.

In the same statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the department will use “all necessary tools to deter and dismantle the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs from entering the United States and harming U.S. citizens.”

Last week, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials arrested up to 75 illegal migrants near Coachella, California, during a massive operation targeting three illegal marijuana growing operations. At least one U.S. citizen was arrested for impeding law enforcement, it stated.

Several federal and local agencies executed search warrants on the illegal grow operations on June 18, which covered nearly 790 acres in Thermal, just a few minutes south of Coachella.

“Due to the magnitude and topography of this operation, DEA has requested support from multiple federal partners,” the agency stated on social media platform X.

California authorities also seized nearly 106,000 illegal marijuana plants and over 22,000 pounds of processed cannabis during a drug enforcement operation last month involving personnel from both local and federal agencies.

Jill McLaughlin contributed to this report.