ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Navajo man, along with his father and a business associate, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple charges related to the operation of illegal marijuana cultivation within New Mexico and the Navajo Nation, allegedly aimed at supplying the black market.
The indictment was revealed on Thursday, following a coordinated raid conducted by local, state, and federal authorities at a residence linked to one of the accused, as well as at two marijuana farms situated in a rural area east of Albuquerque that had lost their state licenses. The authorities confiscated approximately 8,500 pounds (3,855 kilograms) of marijuana, some methamphetamine, two firearms, and $35,000 in cash, alongside illegal pesticides and a bulletproof vest.
Those indicted include Dineh Benally, aged 48; his father Donald Benally, aged 74; and 73-year-old Irving Rea Yui Lin, who resides in California. They face serious allegations, including conspiracy to produce and distribute marijuana, possession with the intent to disseminate, and contaminating a protected waterway.
Prosecutors characterized the alleged activities as a blatant criminal operation and have petitioned a federal judge to detain the accused until trial, citing concerns about the possibility of the defendants fleeing and posing a risk to community safety. One court motion expressed, “The underlying issue is that the defendants are engaged in drug trafficking under their own rules; therefore, nothing less than detention can ensure the safety of the community or the defendants’ compliance with attending court proceedings.”
Messages were left on Thursday in attempts to obtain comments from the defendants regarding the situation.
Dineh Benally previously attracted media attention in 2020 when federal agents raided cannabis cultivation sites he was operating in northwestern New Mexico. Subsequently, he faced a lawsuit from the Navajo Department of Justice, resulting in a court order forbidding him from continuing his operations.
Additionally, a group of Chinese workers filed a lawsuit against Benally and his partners, alleging they were misled into coming to northern New Mexico, where they were compelled to work long hours harvesting marijuana on the Navajo Nation, which has prohibited the cultivation of the plant.
Last year, the Torres County marijuana regulatory authorities rescinded the operating license for one of the growth sites east of Albuquerque, imposing a hefty fine of $1 million after inspecting roughly 20,000 mature plants on the premises—quadruple the amount permitted under the existing license. Furthermore, inspectors discovered another 20,000 immature plants at the site.
According to the indictment, this alleged criminal enterprise constructed over 1,100 cannabis greenhouses, attracted Chinese investors for financial backing, and enlisted Chinese workers to help with farming. Dineh Benally is additionally accused of attempting to bribe the chief of police for the Navajo Nation with proceeds from drug sales in order to facilitate marijuana cultivation on tribal territory.
The indictment outlines that armed guards were stationed at the agricultural sites located on tribal land. It claims that vacuum sealers were employed to package the marijuana, while the Chinese workers were responsible for transporting the illicit substances across state borders.
The defendants are also facing accusations of breaching federal clean water regulations by installing a makeshift dam of sandbags along the San Juan River for irrigation purposes, alongside drilling wells for water access.
If ultimately found guilty, each of the defendants could be subjected to a minimum of 10 years to a maximum of life imprisonment, according to prosecutors.
