Understanding Chinese Organized Crime, where it originates, how it operates, and where is presently affecting the world – including within the United States – is important. Equally important is connecting dots, seeing where something unrelated is related, and understanding what it is not.
In a few paragraphs, Chinese Organized Crime – like Italian, Russian, Colombian, Mexican, Dominican, Nigerian, Sicilian, Corsican, Korean, Japanese, and indigenous American organized crime – is a trust-based, culturally unified, business-focused, criminally ruthless enterprise.
Unlike other types of organized crime, or what started being termed “Transnational Organized Crime” (TCO) about 25 years ago, Chinese Organized Crime does not originate in one place.
So-called “Triads” are shadowy, violent groups with origins that go back centuries, and come from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. They focus on integrated drug and human trafficking, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, ketamine, and cannabis, revenue sources financing each other, as well as money laundering, fraudulent documents, and intimidation.
This is where simple ends – and complicated begins. In modern America, another type of Chinese Organized Crime proliferates. If the Triads are serious, groups from Communist China are called “black societies.” They are growing.
Obviously, neither Triads nor CCP-origin “black societies” file annual reports. That said, borrowing from Plato’s Republic, we see “shadows on the cave wall,” which can make some educated guesses.
First, something new has happened and is accelerating in every county in the nation. Fentanyl availability, use, overdoses, and deaths are spiraling upward. From 2012 through 2022, fentanyl deaths increased each year, doubling from 2019 to 2022, when 73,654 Americans – mostly young – died from fentanyl. The chief source for the drug and chemicals? Mainland China.
The use of naloxone, a reviving agent, saves some lives, and is getting used more, but is not a treatment. More to the point, many who die from fentanyl do so anonymously, never tied to the drug, part of a polydrug overdose, auto accident, or suicide, hidden from the public by the family.
Second, Chinese Organized Crime groups are highly integrated, and involved in trafficking people, drugs, and precursors. They are now pushing “grow houses,” hiding in plain sight. They buy real estate for cash in rural locations – Maine, Oklahoma, Georgia, New York, California – to produce high-potency marijuana, distribute and profit, pulling buyers toward fentanyl and feeding crime.
In places like Oklahoma, Chinese Organized Crime – specifically THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, psychotropic Schedule 1) “grow houses” – is producing alarm and murders. Not coincidentally, states with Chinese grow houses have high fentanyl overdoses and deaths.
While data for all states facing Chinese Organized Crime is similar, Maine has seen a whopping jump in overdoses, indicative. In 2022, Maine had 2,498 overdoses. In 2023, 284 in January alone, 794 more in February, 928 in March.
The upward trend continues. In the first four months of 2024, the percentage of fatal fentanyl overdoses in Maine topped 2023, while nonfatal were 2,776 in 120 days. Not a crisis?
Third, from Maine to Oklahoma, Chinese Organized Crime is moving from a strange, untracked public concern to an industrial strength national and public security threat.
Record Chinese illegals – ending up in places like Maine – tell the story. In 2020, America had just 451 total, but by 2023 24,000. Reality is hard to deny. Chinese illegals, against all likelihood, are entering in record numbers, and trafficking drugs. Some estimates put the total at five million now.
Finally, the oddest is the indifference, as if many politicians see nothing. While data point to a burgeoning personal, community, and national issue, public figures issue statements, and do nothing.
Maine’s Democrat governor could not be bothered to speak about the issue personally, just sent word she was concerned Chinese marijuana undermined legal pot sales, and concerned about legal THC sellers. Really? That is it?
Apparently unconcerned about surging Chinese Organized Crime, clear ties to fentanyl, a threat to security for Maine counties, Somerset, Lincoln, Franklin, Kennebec, and south, she sees nothing.
Notably, the Democrat governor’s brother was involved in a real estate transfer of a Chinese grow house, ending up with someone in Guangdong, China. He claimed ignorance. The governor herself has a mixed record on drugs, but Chinese Organized Crime takes everything to a new level.
Where does it all lead? Not a good place, unless stopped. Together, we have to straighten up and understand Chinese Organized Crime is here, next door, in our communities, attacking us. Not to see the obvious, understand the extent, impact, and implications – not to fight it, would be tragic.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.
The fact that for years, our state officials, government officials have been deliberately ignoring the Land Theft is no surprise. Those who care more about their bankbooks and pockets have been allowing the Sale of American Farmland to foreign entities. What did people think China wanted all these thousands of acres for? Those in the counties where China has Bought land are now screaming about CCP signs, fences and bldgs that “locals” are not allowed to enter.
Everyone MUST Call, Visit and pressure their state AG, Gov and ask the local police about missing persons, the use of the land owned by Chinese and dauly make it clear You do not approve of the fact that OUR American Soil was given to a foreign country!! Shame on all those who willingly knew what they were doing and sold out Americans!!!
So, the liberals want to investigate a sitting US Supreme court member for..what again? Yet, the Governor has a brother that is financially tied to Chinese crime? Total hypocrisy.
RBC, good article about a runaway situation that continues to ravage this country at all levels of society. The legalization of marijuana at state levels has been nothing but trouble that continues to be ignored especially with the increase of organized crime that continues to take money to the bank at the expense of unnecessary deaths in the population. Unfortunately, society has become complacent about the true effects of marijuana so the problem will remain.
This article points out the value of being alert, being observant, and being on guard. Knowing your enemy – regardless where they are from people involved in organized crime are an enemy and in the case of a criminal element from Communist China it is more incentive to know the enemy – for example, if an increase in the number of Chinese people are evident in the area where someone lives , could be a good idea to learn something about their language. Knowing some of the basics of Chinese language is not all that difficult. In the late 1970:s I had some interest in going to Taiwan, plans changed , I never went there , but I did have some formal education at a university and thought that it was a good experience . The plan was to do something in the shipping industry but I found opportunity here in the United States that was more practical – I did research on ferry systems on the east coast. So back to the topic of Chinese organized crime – how much more of a threat to national security can something be than what is described in this article.? Not much, this is something that needs to be watched with the same seriousness as someone would watch a severe storm develop. Great work with this article Robert – this sort of attention to this matter is vital to stopping it. And it needs to be stopped. Right thinking Americans need to value having a high level of intelligence, having courage, and practicing resourcefulness . Those who choose to be indifferent to this invasion of criminal activity are not allies in the defense of this Nation and knowing what makes them tick is a good way to keep on guard for freedom too.
Please thank the federal government and all of their agencies for the successful destruction of the American way of life.
It is gone, forever ????
Triads, Tongs & Spies from China via Mexico
A Chinese national bought a metal scrap yard in a neighboring town a few months ago. He paid $2.2 million cash. 3/4 of the land has never been used for a metal scrap yard. What might be the objective here, despite gathering strength in the scrap yard business in the U.S.? We researched the LLC which purchased the property. Then used Google Earth to check out the address which was registered. A crap house that I would not let my dog live in on a lousy neighborhood street in a Boston crap suburb. You can guess what we are thinking and its not DEI or woke thoughts.
I ve never doubted that both the “Democrats” and Chinese have scruples about engaging in murder for profit. No moral compass, yet, they seem to show expectations of respect from all of us… Good Luck with that…
Don’t leave out Singapore! The Chinese people are actually my favorite and they are at least as much a victim of these groups as are the rest of them. The CCP is the biggest threat of all to all people, Chinese or otherwise!
Solution to this problem is a bigger problem then the problem itself Now there is something for Justice dept to look into To discover who all is involved I don’t think it would dare Epstein affair is enough
You know back during the crack epidemic of the 80s I saw the apathy directed at the African American community. And I didn’t understand. Now that this is happening I finally do. And I don’t care either. Didn’t Nancy Reagan tell you people to just say no? Lol