Source: https://archive.is/1oKzy
Feb. 3, 2026, 4:11 p.m. CTAn alleged drug "kingpin" behind a Chinese syndicate's illegal marijuana operation in Oklahoma has been captured in New York City, Attorney General Gentner Drummond has announced.Hao Tong Chen and 19 others were arrested in a takedown called Operation Blunt Force, the AG said."This was both (an) interstate and international crime organization," Drummond said on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at a news conference. "And, frankly, we crushed it."Chen, 34, was arrested Jan. 29 on an indictment accusing him of racketeering, conspiracy to defraud the state and other crimes. Oklahoma's multicounty grand jury indicted him and 18 others in November.Chen is represented by Oklahoma City attorney Scott Adams."He's just a businessman, he did nothing wrong and we will have more to say later," the defense attorney said.Attorney General Gentner Drummond and law enforcement partners discuss the dismantling of a major drug trafficking organization in Oklahoma at the Oklahoma Capitol in Oklahoma City, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN"One of the greatest threats to public safety is the out-of-control marijuana industry," Stitt said.Drummond, a Republican now running for governor, acknowledged at the news conference that from a law enforcement perspective, "I'd love for it to be gone.""It is a complicated issue," he said, "Now, clearly, when we passed this law in 2018, we were asleep at the switch. Right? We did not put proper protocol in place to limit the number of marijuana grow facilities. It was truly the wild west."We do have in this state probably 1,500 legal Oklahomans ... producing marijuana just as you would produce wheat or soybean," he said. "If the governor goes forward with this plan, or the future governor does, then we would need to reimburse these individuals because it will effectively be a taking."Attorney General Gentner Drummond and law enforcement partners discuss the dismantling of a major drug trafficking organization in Oklahoma at the Oklahoma Capitol in Oklahoma City, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMANGrand jurors alleged Chen orchestrated a scheme to get licenses and registrations for medical marijuana grows in Oklahoma through so-called "straw owners."Medical marijuana grows are supposed to be at least 75% owned by Oklahoma residents. Investigations have found many grows circumvented the requirement through "straw" or "ghost" owners who had nothing to do with the actual operations.Grand jurors alleged Chen "paid the straw owners, or caused them to be paid, in exchange for using their identity for fraudulent applications and for their continued cooperation to perpetuate the fraud."Drummond said the Hao Chen organization grew one million pounds of marijuana valued on the street at $1.5 billion. He said black market marijuana was trafficked in Oklahoma, New York, Georgia, Illinois and Texas.Money flowed to and from China, he said.In his news conference, Drummond brought up President Donald Trump twice."These arrests were the direct result of President Trump's leadership and the federal partnerships his administration has built with the State of Oklahoma, deploying real resources, real intelligence and real coordination to dismantle criminal networks," the AG said."We are not done," Drummond also said. "We will keep going until every syndication and every cartel is driven from the State of Oklahoma."He said the takedown involved his organized crime task force and 27 other law enforcement "partners" and spanned four times zones.Also charged in the racketeering indictment were Qui Cheng Chen, Chu Xin Zeng, YI Zhao, Fa Sen Ou, Wenjing Shi, Feng Feng Liu, Hui Li, Dan Liu, Jing Yan, Erin Williams-Ream, William Randall Robinson, Beverly Ann Robinson, Michelle Ann Robinson, Joseph Wade Hyde. Kenneth Dale Ream, Miri Lorene Snead, Kristena Lynn Landis and Veronica Guzman Maguire.
Archived URL: https://archive.is/1oKzy
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