Feds seize homes in Maine in crackdown on illegal marijuana grows

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The federal government seized two homes in Maine it says were used to grow illegal marijuana.

The homes in the towns of Corinna and Cornville, according to the Bangor Daily News, were allegedly used for drug trafficking crimes and stemmed from lawsuits filed by the U.S. attorney’s office for Maine.

The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office found more than 3,770 marijuana plants in the Corinna house in February after securing a search warrant.

The properties will be sold, with proceeds funding the Marshal Service’s forfeiture program that compensates victims and supports law enforcement agencies, according to the Daily News.

The enforcement action is believed to be connected to 270 “illegal Chinese-owned marijuana operations” in the state.

The situation came to light in a leaked federal government memo in July 2023 and prompted all four members of Maine’s congressional delegation to send a letter the next month asking U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to take action.

In January, the delegation sent a follow-up letter asking whether the Department of Justice needed additional support from Congress to support Maine’s enforcement efforts.