Federal authorities are trying to seize four Maine properties allegedly used in the cultivation of illegal marijuana. The move is the latest in a multipronged investigation into unlicensed cannabis cultivation in Maine.
The properties are located in the towns of Corinna, China, Cornville, and Machias. All four had been used as unlicensed marijuana growing operations, in some cases cultivating thousands of plants at a time.
In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court earlier this month, federal prosecutors began the process of seizing the properties, under the government's authority to take possession of real estate used to commit or facilitate a crime.
All four properties are being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, part of a multi-agency effort to combat illegal marijuana cultivation in the state.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney's Office said there are an estimated 100 such operations in Maine, and that federal law enforcement is investigating potential ties to transnational organized crime, possibly linked to China, following a pattern identified in other states.
Local, state, and federal law enforcement have uncovered a string of unlicensed marijuana growing operations and made dozens of arrests in recent years, largely concentrated in central Maine.
