An unsealed federal search-warrant application reveals investigators have zeroed in on a Chinese drug-trafficking network operating out of Dexter, Stetson, Norridgewock & Ripley, Maine.
According to a sealed 50-page affidavit filed March 17, investigators caught their break when Zhao & Li were stopped crossing back into the U.S. from Canada and were forced to hand over their phones.
At the center:
🇨🇳 “Larry” Zhao of Brooklyn
🇨🇳 Wen Hui “Wen” Li of Las VegasDEA task-force officers then secured warrants for 4 Maine properties linked to the pair — each showing red flags for commercial-scale illegal cannabis grows: massive power usage, structural mods, and suspicious financial flows.
The affidavit says the operation was fueled by mortgage fraud, shell companies, foreign money transfers & straw buyers. Federal investigators say these sites fit patterns seen in the 270+ Chinese cartel grow houses DHS flagged across Maine.
WeChat messages pulled from Zhao’s phone show him telling partners that Maine operations had “ceased” due to “local police concerns” — matching the lull in cartel activity after public reporting and increased scrutiny.
DEA zeroes in on Chinese drug-trafficking network operating out of Dexter, Stetson, Norridgewock & Ripley, MAINE
American Buddhist Net 