11,000 Marijuana plants seized in Ponca City illegal grow bust, 5 arrested

A multi-agency drug bust Wednesday in Ponca City resulted in five arrests and the seizure of over 11,000 illegal marijuana plants, according to Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

Monday, April 14th 2025, 4:31 pm

By: Graham Dowers

Kay County Sheriff's Office - Ponca City Drug Bust

PONCA CITY, Okla. -

A multi-agency bust on Wednesday led by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force resulted in five arrests and the seizure of over 11,000 illegal marijuana plants at a grow facility in Ponca City.

Investigators say the grow operation showed no signs of legal compliance, lacking a valid license from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority and no registration with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.

Additionally, the task force says none of the seized plants were legally tagged.

“Our investigators found absolutely nothing to suggest this facility made even a token effort to appear legitimate, meaning the marijuana seized was likely headed for the black market,” said Attorney General Gentner Drummond. “I applaud the Organized Crime Task Force and the federal, state, and local law enforcement entities that came together for this operation. The message must be clear to drug traffickers: Get out of Oklahoma.”

In total, agents confiscated 11,269 marijuana plants and 477 pounds of processed marijuana. The sweep involved the Kay County Sheriff’s Office, Ponca City Police, FBI, ICE, the Oklahoma National Guard, and the 8th District Attorney Drug and Major Crime Task Force.

Arrests Made In Ponca City Illegal Marijuana Bust

Gangtie Li 60
Xiu Yu Li, 59
Qunying Sun, 59
Xtao Zhou Wang, 37
Yu Jiao Zou, 62

Investigators also said Sun was found in possession of clothing resembling the uniform of China’s People’s Liberation Army, further raising national security concerns.

The Attorney General's office confirmed that all five suspects have been charged with:

Aggravated manufacturing of marijuana
Trafficking of a controlled and dangerous substance (marijuana)

Oklahoma's War on Illegal Marijuana

The Ponca City raid is the latest in a statewide crackdown on illegal marijuana operations by Oklahoma’s Organized Crime Task Force, which has taken aggressive action in recent months.

Bixby Stash House Bust

In Bixby, five suspects — four of whom are reportedly in the U.S. illegally — were arrested following a raid on a suburban stash house. Law enforcement recovered over 2,300 marijuana plants, 1,800 pounds of processed product, and firearms.

Drummond emphasized the role of community tips and reiterated that foreign criminal organizations are exploiting Oklahoma’s once-lax medical marijuana laws.

“Straw Ownership” Indictments

Multiple individuals were recently indicted by an Oklahoma Multi-County Grand Jury for running fraudulent “straw ownership” schemes to acquire marijuana licenses. Defendants Kody Sumter, Michael Dudek, and Dengfeng Huang face conspiracy, manufacturing, and trafficking charges. These fake ownerships were allegedly used to funnel products to the illegal market, bypassing state oversight.

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$75 Million Seizure in Wagoner County

In one of the largest marijuana seizures in state history, 74,000 pounds of illegal product were recovered from a barn in Wagoner County — enough to fill several dump trucks. The facility, linked to a property owned by Green Acre Sod Farms, was shut down after a community tip.

Ongoing Operations and Challenges

Drummond's office, working alongside OBN and the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, continues to uncover and dismantle illegal operations. Investigators have now seized over 700,000 pounds of illegal marijuana and shut down more than 1,000 facilities. Despite progress, law enforcement believes thousands of farms are still under investigation.