ALABASTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A marijuana grow operation uncovered in rural Michigan has been linked to an international crime ring involving Chinese nationals, according to the Iosco County Prosecutor’s Office.
Four Chinese nationals were charged after Michigan State Police raided a warehouse in Alabaster Township on May 29, 2025. Inside, investigators discovered 5,057 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, from clones to fully flowering plants. The estimated value of the seized crop exceeds $5 million.
Iosco County Prosecutor James A. Bacarella said the suspects—identified as Meiqing Chen, Zhenhong Nei, Wenying Wu, and Changning Zhen—were all in the U.S. legally but now face charges of possessing marijuana with intent to deliver and maintaining a drug manufacturing facility. The charges carry prison terms of up to 15 years and 2 years, respectively.
The bust appears to be part of a larger, organized criminal network that spans multiple U.S. states and reaches into China. Authorities said evidence discovered at an apartment in the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base further tied the suspects to the grow operation.

Troopers later spotted the suspects traveling southbound on U.S. 23. A traffic stop revealed the four individuals inside the vehicle. Police said the GPS on the driver’s phone was set for a destination in New York, indicating they may have been attempting to flee.
Three of the suspects—Chen, Wu, and Zhen—have pleaded not guilty. The fourth, Nei, is currently in ICE custody and has yet to be arraigned.
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Local officials praised the efforts of state police and narcotics investigators in uncovering what they describe as a sophisticated, multi-state operation tied to Chinese networks.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.