Marijuana empire: Feds charge, arrest former Navajo presidential candidate and father of cannabis facilities in NM
Courtesy | U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
Dineh Benally is pictured with his phone, stacks of banknotes, and a notebook. Court documents show samples of photos that document the plants, pruning stations, drying racks, packaging stations, living facilities, and weapons found on growing farms.
WINDOW ROCK
In the arid expanse of New Mexico’s Tsé Bit’ą’í community, a clandestine empire flourished – one that would eventually draw the ire of the federal government and bring to light shocking allegations of exploitation, environmental damage, and flagrant disregard for tribal sovereignty.
At its center is Dineh Benally, who once made a bid to become the Navajo Nation president, now accused of spearheading one of the largest illegal marijuana operations in U.S. history.
The story unpacks the case against Benally that prompted his detention, a document that lays bare a story of criminal enterprise sprawling across 400 acres of tribal land. The motion, filed by U.S. prosecutors, outlines a staggering pattern of violations – ranging from human trafficking and waterway diversion to the use of illegal pesticides – all under the guise of a business framed as a sovereign right.
To read the full article, please see the Jan. 30, edition of the Navajo Times.
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