Federal Indictment Points to Maine Business as Landlords to Chinese Drug Cartel

The federal indictment from the District of Massachusetts claims that alleged Chinese human traffickers made payments to a Maine small business tied to a property in Maine.

A Maine excavation business appears to have rented property to a Chinese drug cartel that the U.S. Justice Department alleges engaged in human trafficking to profit from illicitly grown cannabis, according to an indictment filed in Massachusetts District Court last week.

Filed by U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley, the indictment includes evidence that seven Chinese nationals operated a human trafficking and drug trafficking network that included cannabis growing operations in Massachusetts and Maine.

Among the evidence listed in the indictment is a a record of a July 31, 2024 check from alleged ringleader Jianxiong Chen made payable in the amount of $10,800 to the 8 Ring Landing Corp.

That payment would have been chump change for Chen, who was living at a $1.5 million house, had a Porsche stuffed with cash, and many luxury items worth tens of thousands of dollars, according to the indictment.

Corporate and real estate records show that the 8 Ring Landing Corp. is a real estate h…