Steven Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of the Maine Wire, leads New England’s fastest-growing digital media outlet focused on exposing political corruption and organized crime across local, state, and regional levels. A native of Dexter, Maine, and Bowdoin College graduate in political philosophy, he previously worked at Regnery Publishing, produced the Howie Carr Show, and handled Barstool Sports' Kirk Minihane Show and true-crime podcast The Case, which spurred murder charges per season. During COVID-19, he quit his job to travel 35,000 miles across North America in a camper van before returning to Maine in November 2022 to revitalize the Maine Wire as an aggressive, independent platform for underreported stories, bold investigations, and commentary. Robinson's groundbreaking "Triad Weed" series, launched in August 2023 after a leaked DHS memo revealed over 270 illicit cannabis operations by Asian Transnational Criminal Organizations in Maine, uncovered a vast Chinese mafia network spanning Maine to southeast China. His reporting exposed racketeering involving black-market cannabis, human and sex trafficking, money laundering, bank fraud, illegal border crossings, neurotoxins poisoning homes, murder, and national security threats—including CCP-linked properties near U.S. Army facilities. He provided exclusive details on the exploitation of U.S. Treasury–subsidized loans that allowed foreign nationals to purchase over 70 properties.. Cited in Congressional reports and featured on CBS, Fox News, the Daily Mail, OANN, and more, Robinson's work has led to over 60 articles, property raids, arrests, Sen. Susan Collins' interrogations of intel agencies, and the documentary Triad Weed: How Chinese Mafia Infiltrated Maine. Local police praise it as a field manual, though Maine media avoids the story. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join Shawn Ryan Show Links SUBSCRIBE: http://www.youtube.com/@ShawnRyanShow Sign up: https://shawnryanshow.com/pages/newsletter Support the Show: https://www.patreon.com/VigilanceElite Download Free Content: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lF-8_5jwRc5eAhzDkqqCOp-6yvd05vAw?usp=sharing Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=59f9d106e56a4509 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnryanshow Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on X: https://twitter.com/ShawnRyanShow SRS Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4pqo9Uoh0WuUKxw0BmaK1yrg9Kd7E4lk #vigilanceelite #shawnryanshow Steve Robinson Links: X - https://x.com/BigSteve207 X - https://x.com/TheMaineWire Substack - https://robinsonreport.substack.com The Maine Wire - https://www.themainewire.com High Crimes Documentary - https://tuckercarlson.com/high-crimes Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://hillsdale.edu/srs https://patriotmobile.com/srs https://ketone.com/srs Visit https://ketone.com/srs for 30% OFF your subscription order. https://helixsleep.com/srs https://ROKA.com – USE CODE SRS https://bunkr.life – USE CODE SRS Go to https://bunkr.life/SRS and use code “SRS” to get 25% off your family plan. 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:09 What is 7-OH? A New Toxic Substance 00:39 Government Delays and Law Enforcement Gaps 01:00 The Rise and Evolution of Sketchy Substances 02:35 Regulating 7-OH and Comparison to Bath Salts 04:42 Synthetic Origins and Gas Station Access 06:18 The $9 Billion Industry and Political Concerns 07:32 Meet Steve Robinson 08:41 Investigating Chinese Organized Crime in Maine 10:32 Property Raids and Indictments 12:20 Chinese Benevolent Associations and Broader Network 16:06 Marijuana Grow Ops and Human Trafficking Links 18:32 Initial Investigations and Key Discoveries 25:29 The Scale and Power Usage of Grow Operations 42:03 Hemp Loopholes and Cannabis Compound Confusion 47:18 Regulatory Gaps and Foreign Involvement 51:56 Investigation Process and Hidden Locations 54:20 Security Concerns and Suspicious Activity 01:00:26 Law Enforcement Limitations and Legal Loopholes 01:09:28 Real Estate Tactics and Money Laundering 01:22:21 Lack of Law Enforcement Support in Maine 01:44:22 Narcan Use and Overdose Cases 01:47:22 Testing, Market Trends, and Legal Gray Zones 01:55:15 Public Health Risks and Harm Reduction 02:08:45 The Future of Synthetic Drugs 02:35:03 Conclusion and Final Thoughts