California Lawmaker Urges FBI Probe of Chinese-Linked Illegal Marijuana Grows

Rep. James Gallagher (R-Calif.) sent a letter on October 19 to FBI Director Kash Patel urging a coordinated federal investigation into thousands of illegal marijuana cultivation sites across Siskiyou and Shasta Counties. Gallagher wrote that the operations have blanketed rural properties with plastic-covered “hoop houses,” depleted groundwater supplies, threatened resident safety, and contaminated agricultural land.

Estimates cited in the letter put the number of illegal growers in the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision alone as high as 7,000, with cultivation also expanding onto federal lands including the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. In 2025 the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office reported eradicating 332,871 illegal marijuana plants and seizing 54,070 pounds of processed marijuana. Gallagher noted that investigators have traced some properties to owners living outside the county while on-site managers often have no apparent ownership interest—patterns consistent with efforts to conceal financing and control.

The congressman specifically raised concerns that Chinese organized-crime networks may be financing or directing portions of the grows. He pointed to a 2018 federal investigation in the Sacramento area that uncovered an illegal marijuana operation funded by wire transfers from China’s Fujian Province, resulting in civil forfeiture actions against more than 100 properties. Gallagher also highlighted the widespread use of highly toxic pesticides, including chemicals banned in the United States and products bearing Chinese-language labels suspected of illegal importation. Siskiyou County investigators have identified at least 27 pesticide compounds at illegal grow sites; some release toxic fumes when burned and pose risks to residents, first responders, and water supplies.

Gallagher asked the FBI to work with local sheriffs, Homeland Security Investigations, and EPA Region 9. “We can’t stand idly by as these criminals poison our water, destroy our land, and threaten the safety of rural families,” he said in a statement. The letter frames the sites as transnational criminal enterprises rather than isolated local violations.

Illegal cultivation expanded substantially after California legalized recreational marijuana. Local officials have linked the operations to human trafficking, violent crime, and competition for scarce groundwater that affects legitimate ranchers and farmers.