Many of the operations are run by Chinese nationals who conceal their involvement through straw buyers, attorneys, and real estate intermediaries. Witnesses emphasized that the networks extend well beyond marijuana, with ties to fentanyl trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling. Witnesses agreed that without federal intervention, including the use of RICO prosecutions and direct confrontation with the Chinese government, the networks will continue to expand. Carter argued that dismantling foreign criminal networks depends on expanding and reinforcing regulated markets, not weakening them. He also noted that President Trump has backed rescheduling marijuana at the federal level.