WAYCROSS, Ga. (WTOC) - A significant drug trafficking operation involving six individuals from China has been dismantled by federal authorities in southern Georgia. On June 21, U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood handed down sentences to the defendants involved in a large-scale marijuana growing scheme that operated across multiple counties.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia announced that each defendant received prison terms ranging from 29 months to 30 months and will be deported upon completion of their sentences, with no possibility of parole under federal law. The defendants are Chen Hui Shu (36), Jin Peng Ma (35), Lecai Huang (68), Wei Sheng Deng (41), Zhu Sheng Bing (65), and Zhi Yong Ma (54). All were sentenced to varying periods in prison followed by supervised release.
The investigation, which began in July 2023 after reports of marijuana odors led law enforcement to a property in Pierce County, expanded into Brantley County. Authorities discovered two indoor cultivation operations equipped with advanced growing equipment and irrigation systems. The operation was found to have produced approximately 15,000 marijuana plants across both properties. Both sites were forfeited to the United States government earlier this year.
U.S. Attorney Margaret E. “Meg” Heap emphasized the importance of coordinated law enforcement efforts in tackling such operations. DEA Atlanta Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung echoed these sentiments, highlighting strong interagency cooperation as a key factor in dismantling drug networks that threaten community safety.
The case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by local and federal authorities in combating international drug trafficking within U.S. borders.