US Should Use RICO Charges to Target Illegal Chinese Marijuana Farming, Experts Say

Witnesses proposed exploiting the same federal racketeering charges the government used against Italian organized crime members in the 1980s and 1990s.

A crate of marijuana buds from an illegal growing operation in a residential suburb in Denver, Colo., on Oct. 1, 2020. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

Experts urged Congress on Sept. 18 to launch a federal task force and utilize the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act to target Chinese transnational gangs involved in illegal marijuana farming in the United States.

“This isn’t just about marijuana,” Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Director Donnie Anderson told lawmakers during a congressional hearing on Thursday.