ICYMI: Homeland Republicans Set Sights on US Agriculture Security Amid Heightened Threats of Agroterror, Chinese Illicit Grow Operations

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Last week, the House Committee on Homeland Security held two hearings to address threats to America's agricultural security from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other adversaries. On Tuesday, Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman Dale Strong (R-AL) held a hearing to discuss the threat of agroterrorism facing America's food supply following an attempt by Chinese nationals to smuggle a potentially harmful fungus into the country earlier this year. On Thursday, Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Chairman Josh Brecheen (R-OK) led a hearing to examine the national security threats posed by Chinese criminal organizations operating illicit marijuana farms across America, especially in Oklahoma.

In last Tuesday's hearing, witness testimony was provided by Daniel K. Wims, Ph.D., president of Alabama A&M University; Cris Young, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, COL USA (ret.), professor of practice at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine; Marty Vanier, DVM, director of the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center and associate director of the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kanas State University; and Asha M. George, DrPH, executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense.

Chairman Strong asked about issues posed by foreign nationals owning American farmland, to which Dr. Wims answered:

"There has to be a better and closer collaboration between research and extension, particularly relative to terrorism and the dangers that we face. The challenge with us is being able to marry the agricultural sciences, our research, and our extension agents with our computer scientists and our people who are proficient and professional and prepared in artificial intelligence, as well as cybersecurity. We have not done a good job of that. Again, resources and time. I also think that the type and way that we produce, process, and then distribute food and fiber has to be carefully studied in terms of the dangers that we face relative to a potential threat having access to food systems and the way that we distribute and store food…We need systems in place, whether it be artificial intelligence and/or cybersecurity to make sure that we protect, not just a production for the distribution, dissemination, and storage of those food items."

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) asked where perpetrators of agroterrorism are coming from and whether they work alone:

"In the history that you have seen these instances occur, where are they originating from and is it a concerted organized effort? Or are they more typically lone actors?"

Dr. George answered:

"Recently, we've seen some of the experimentation by foreign nationals who brought in some stuff from China that we didn't want to have here and we said no you can't do it but they came here anyway and decided to conduct that research in our facilities…There's probably more of it going on than any of us realize. We do not have an effective investigatory mechanism that is nationwide, and even if you do investigate, we don't have a national attribution apparatus either. So maybe you find out about something, but to answer your question, is it multiple countries or multiple people in specific countries. It's very difficult to tell because we don't have that apparatus in place."

In last Thursday's hearing, witness testimony was provided by Donnie Anderson, director, of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control; Paul Larkin, senior legal research fellow at the Heritage Foundation; and Christopher Urben, a former DEA agent and managing director of Nardello & Co.

Chairman Brecheen asked Anderson to describe the threat illicit Chinese-linked marijuana farms pose to our national security and what can be done to draw attention to this pressing issue:

"What do you think that it's going to take for the average person in Oklahoma to realize this is such a problem? …What does the law enforcement have to do to get the attention of Oklahoma officials?"

Anderson answered:

"I do think we're making some headway as far as letting people know what's going on. And for me this isn't about, I want to be very clear, this isn't just about marijuana. I'm not talking about mom or pop operations or even about people who utilize marijuana for whatever medical purpose they use it for. I'm talking about real, organized transnational criminals who do not have our best interests at heart. When I say our best interests, I'm talking about the American people as a whole. So that is my biggest concern with what's going on with this whole catastrophe in Oklahoma."

Rep. Brad Knott (R-NC) asked about how Chinese criminal organizations hide in plain sight:

"I want you to talk to us a little bit about how the Chinese criminals have successfully hidden in polite society, because when I investigated marijuana cultivation that was illegal, they had a very intricate network of legal front businesses that enabled them to move millions of dollars that looked legitimate. But when you start to peel the onion back, it was a pretty harrowing viewpoint."

Urben answered:

"They become so successful, as to exactly what you said, because they're being controlled by the top echelon of Chinese organized crime, some of the most sophisticated operators in the world. They're very sophisticated and disciplined in the sense that they engage in what we would view as low-risk criminal activities, the money laundering. The violent component to what Mr. Anderson stated, that's only more recently. They try to stay away from violence or what would have federal prosecutors become interested in prosecuting them, hence marijuana trafficking, money laundering, human smuggling. They also rely on this network in the Chinese underground banking system that's been around for years. And lastly, we touched upon this, it's very difficult to recruit confidential sources to engage these networks and [to] wiretap these networks on WeChat is impossible."

Rep. Strong asked how land acquisition plays into the bigger picture of Chinese criminal operations in the United States:

"How significant is land acquisition to the broader strategy of Chinese criminal groups operating in America?"

Larkin answered:

"It's helpful to them in two very different ways. First, it allows them to use the property to grow illicit drugs, to process them, and then use that site as a distribution point. But it's also possible to do that in places that would allow them to try to use that area for spying on nearby facilities. For example, if you had an indoor rather than an outdoor grow, you could not only use that as a basis for developing marijuana that you can then ship elsewhere in the state or across the nation. You can also use that as a place perhaps for spying on nearby Americans or American bases or other sensitive targets. So it's a very dangerous sort of circumstance we have."

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) asked about how these illicit grow operations are connected to other illegal activity:

"How does the earned money from illegal marijuana trafficking facilitate their money laundering activities, and quite frankly, when you look at the supply chain that they are setting up, what other illicit goods may also be, such as human trafficking, are part of that supply chain?"

Urben answered:

"One component of the organized crime revenue feeds the other. So for example, the money launderers and the ability to purchase land and goods throughout the United States for cultivation assist the money launderers, the human trafficking component, and getting back to the national security component to this. All of these revenue streams, that is benefiting Chinese organized crime, promotes and provides access points throughout our United States government, promotes access to different places that they can corrupt financial institutions that they can undermine."

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