Federal agents hit four homes across Las Vegas last week, walking out with what investigators say was roughly 3,000 suspected marijuana plants and four people in custody. The searches stretched across several neighborhoods in the valley and capped months of paperwork and prior seizures tied to the same addresses. At more than one location, investigators said they found rooms kitted out with industrial-grade growing equipment.
According to documents obtained by KLAS, two homes near Craig Road and Tenaya Way and Alexander Road and Tenaya Way were already on law enforcement’s radar after May 2025 seizures of about 1,267 and 1,264 suspected plants. A third house near Spring Mountain Road and Buffalo Drive was linked to a February 2026 search where more than 400 suspected plants were reportedly removed. Federal agents then served a warrant at a fourth home near Russell Road and Buffalo Drive last Wednesday, where they reported finding four people inside along with growing equipment. The filings note that one person tried to escape by scrambling over a perimeter wall. The documents name four defendants — Changtian Mai, Jianwen Mai, Hoi Man Mak and Jiejiao Zhang — who are charged federally with conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance in a protected area, and state that all four remained in federal custody at the time the paperwork was filed.
Legal implications
Marijuana is still classified under federal law as a Schedule I controlled substance, which means federal prosecutors can bring large-scale cultivation cases even in states that allow recreational use, according to the DEA. The “protected area” allegation is not a small add-on. Under 21 U.S.C. § 860, it is a separate federal crime to manufacture or distribute controlled substances on or within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds and certain similar places, and it brings higher maximum sentences along with mandatory minimums. The statute also spells out narrow exceptions for very small amounts of marijuana.
Nevada rules and local gap
At the state level, the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board allows adults 21 and older to grow cannabis at home only if they live more than 25 miles from a state-licensed retail store. Even then, the rules cap cultivation at six plants per person and no more than 12 per household, and require locked, enclosed spaces where plants are not visible from public areas. Those limits are a world apart from the industrial-style setups federal agents say they encountered during these raids, a contrast that helps explain why federal authorities step in when an operation appears commercial instead of personal…