$1.5B black market marijuana ring dismantled in Oklahoma-led operation

OG article by Jennifer Pierce

February 5, 2026

Oklahoma authorities dismantled a massive $1.5 billion black market marijuana operation through Operation Blunt Force, a two-day effort involving the Attorney General’s Office, local police, and federal agents. The investigation, launched in March 2024, targeted a sophisticated network led by Hao Chen, resulting in 20 arrests including Chen (captured recently and held at Rikers Island, New York). Officials executed 50 search warrants, seized over a dozen firearms, and destroyed thousands of pounds of illegal marijuana. The group used straw ownership to fraudulently obtain licenses from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority and registrations from the Bureau of Narcotics, running 20 illegal grow operations across Oklahoma and seven other states. Marijuana was produced industrially and trafficked nationwide, with proceeds laundered through multiple bank accounts. An 18-count grand jury indictment charges racketeering, conspiracy to defraud the state, document fraud, aggravated manufacturing, and unlawful proceeds. The operation exploited state marijuana laws, and the probe continues. Authorities highlight it as a major blow to illicit trafficking amid Oklahoma's regulated market.