MEDIA ADVISORY: Chairman Brecheen Announces Hearing on Chinese Criminal Networks Operating Illicit Marijuana Farms in Oklahoma, Across the Country

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability, announced a hearing for tomorrow, September 18, to examine the national security threats posed by Chinese criminal organizations operating illicit marijuana farms across America, including in Oklahoma.

"The infiltration of Chinese criminal networks into Oklahoma's farmland is not just a state problem-it's a national security threat," Chairman Brecheen said. "These illegal marijuana grow operations serve as gateways to a wider enterprise of drug and human trafficking, as well as money laundering. This hearing will shine a light on how criminal networks that are potentially linked to the Chinese Communist Party undermine our national security and facilitate transnational crime. We must take decisive action to address vulnerabilities that could be exploited by our adversaries."

DETAILS:

What: A Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability hearing entitled "Invasion of the Homeland: How China is Using Illegal Marijuana to Build a Criminal Network Across America."

When: Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET

Where: 310 Cannon House Office Building

WITNESSES:

Donnie Anderson
Director, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control

Paul Larkin
Senior Legal Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation

Christopher Urben
Former DEA Agent, Managing Director, Nardello & Co.

Witnesses and testimony will be added here. The hearing will be livestreamed on YouTube and will be open to the public and the press. Press must be congressionally credentialed and should RSVP in advance.

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