Indictment Unveiled: Alleged Illegal Marijuana Operation in New Mexico
In a sweeping crackdown on illegal cannabis activities, a federal grand jury has charged a Navajo man, his father, and an associate with running unauthorized marijuana cultivation operations. The locations of these activities were pinpointed in New Mexico and within Navajo Nation territories, allegedly serving the black market.
The indictment, made public on Thursday, follows a significant raid conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies. This operation took place a week earlier at one defendant’s residence and two unlicensed farms located east of Albuquerque. Authorities confiscated a substantial haul, including 8,500 pounds of marijuana, methamphetamine, firearms, $35,000 in cash, illicit pesticides, and a bulletproof vest.
The accused individuals, Dineh Benally, 48; Donald Benally, 74; and Irving Rea Yui Lin, 73, from California, face serious charges. These include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute, and environmental violations related to polluting a protected waterway.
Federal prosecutors have labeled the alleged operation as an audacious criminal enterprise. They have requested that a judge keep the defendants in custody until trial, citing concerns about potential flight risks and community safety. “The bottom line is that defendants are drug traffickers who operate in accordance with their own laws, so how can anything short of detention ensure the safety of the community or defendants’ appearance in this matter,” states the motion.
Efforts to reach the defendants for comments via phone and email on Thursday were unsuccessful.
Dineh Benally previously drew attention in 2020 when federal authorities raided cannabis farms in northwestern New Mexico. The Navajo Department of Justice subsequently filed a lawsuit against him, resulting in a court order to stop those operations.
Further legal troubles emerged as a group of Chinese immigrant workers filed a lawsuit against Benally and his colleagues. The workers alleged they were misled into traveling to northern New Mexico, where they were coerced into labor-intensive marijuana trimming on Navajo lands, where cultivation remains illegal.
Regulatory bodies in New Mexico added to the legal woes last year by revoking the license of a cultivation site in Torrance County, east of Albuquerque. The regulatory body imposed a $1 million fine after discovering approximately 20,000 mature plants, which exceeded the licensed limit by fourfold, along with an additional 20,000 immature plants.
The indictment details the construction of over 1,100 cannabis greenhouses and the solicitation of Chinese investors to fund the venture. Chinese workers were recruited to manage the crops. Dineh Benally is also accused of attempting to bribe the Navajo Nation’s police chief with drug proceeds to permit marijuana cultivation on tribal lands.
Armed guards were reportedly stationed to protect the farms on tribal land. The indictment also alleges the use of vacuum sealers to package marijuana, with Chinese workers tasked with transporting the products across state borders.
The environmental allegations involve the installation of a sandbag dam along the San Juan River to facilitate crop irrigation, violating federal clean water standards. Wells were also drilled to extract water.
If found guilty, each defendant could face a sentence ranging from a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment, according to prosecutors.
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