A Chinese national arrested at an illegal marijuana grow site in February has become the first person to face federal charges relating to the criminal enterprise operating hundreds of these sites across Maine.
In February, police raided a house in Passadumkeag which had been renovated to allow for the illegal cultivation of marijuana.
During the raid, at 549 Main Rd., Passadumkeag, police arrested the 67-year-old Xisen Gou, a naturalized citizen originally hailing from China.
When the Penobscot Sheriff’s Office carried out the raid, they seized 40 lbs of processed marijuana, methamphetamine, and thousands of dollars in cash.
Law enforcement discovered three males of Chinese origin during the raid, but released two of them, only arresting Guo and charging him with Unlawful Trafficking in Scheduled Drugs Class B, a felony.
It is unclear why police released the other two men discovered during the raid.
Guo now faces federal drug charges, and was ordered held without bail on Friday, with a detention hearing scheduled for Monday.
Although federal agencies, including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) have been involved in multiple raids on Chinese operated marijuana grows in the state, until now, no one arrested has faced federal charges.
Others arrested for related crimes have been treated far more leniently than Guo.
In many cases, the Chinese criminals have been issued extremely low bails.
The bails are then paid in cash by co-conspirators, the criminals then fail to appear for their court hearings, and consequently remain at large.
