A group of men charged with running an illegal marijuana farm in rural Maine have extensive ties to a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organ responsible for intelligence gathering and foreign influence operations, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation found.
Two of the men, who pleaded not guilty, are leaders of the Sijiu Association of New York, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit, which works closely with the New York Chinese Consulate and United Front Work Department (UFWD) — one of Beijing’s main influence and intelligence arms. Chinese government records reveal several Sijiu Association officials belong to UFWD branches, and state-run media reports show the nonprofit has also agreed to fund UFWD projects.
Chinese illegal marijuana grows in the Pine Tree State have taken root within former residential dwellings, recycling facilities, cedar mills, elementary schools and other industrial locations, according to investigative reports by the Maine Wire. Police raids have recovered hundreds of pounds of cultivated marijuana and thousands of cannabis plants within a single location, and sometimes have also led to the discovery of methamphetamines or banned neurotoxins used for fumigation.
“We’ve identified and visited more than 150 illegal Chinese marijuana growing operations throughout the state of Maine,” Steve Robinson, editor-in-chief of the Maine Wire, told the DCNF. “The neighbors are terrified, and legitimate marijuana businesses are collapsing due to the illegal competition.”
Web Of Illegal Marijuana Grows Tied To Chinese Communist Party Front Group
American Buddhist Net 
