More Than 10,000 Marijuana Plants Seized, 2 Arrested In Haskell County Bust

The Haskell County Sheriff’s office and agents from Colorado shut down a drug operation that covered several states.

They seized more than 10,000 marijuana plants and 100 pounds of processed marijuana and several firearms from a Haskell County grow farm.

They arrested 21-year-old Weilun Zhang and 18-year-old Cindy Zheng who are accused of running the operation. Zheng and Zhang will be extradited to Colorado to face several charges including organized crime, money laundering, conspiracy, and tax evasion.

Haskell County Sheriff Tim Turner said the bust comes after a months-long, multiagency investigation into a much bigger organized crime operation in Colorado.

"It's the first case in the State of Colorado involving marijuana where they have hit it with the Colorado RICO act," Turner said.

RICO deals with organized crime and racketeering.

The grow operation itself was actually legal, but the sheriff says the way it was funded was not. He said the person with the grow license, surrendered it and the marijuana to Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics agents.

"This operation was built, bought, and paid for with illicit gains from the state of Colorado," Turner said.

Sheriff Turner hopes this sends a message to criminals hoping to make a profit in Oklahoma.

"If you want to do it lawfully and legally, then it's here, we voted it in, it's here let's do it," he said. "But if you want to do it to gain illicit gains, then guess what pack your stuff up and go home, because we don't need you here."