It took a while
A federal grand jury has indicted a Navajo man, his father and a business partner on charges that they were running illegal marijuana growing operations in New Mexico and on the Navajo Nation to supply the black market
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A federal grand jury has indicted a Navajo man, his father and a business partner on charges that they were running illegal marijuana growing operations in New Mexico and on the Navajo Nation to supply the black market.
The indictment was unsealed Thursday, a week after local, state and federal authorities raided the home of one of the defendants and two farms in a rural area east of Albuquerque that were no longer licensed by the state. Items seized included 8,500 pounds (3,855 kilograms) of marijuana, some methamphetamine, two firearms, $35,000 in cash, illegal pesticides and a bullet proof vest.
The charges against Dineh Benally, 48; Donald Benally, 74; and Irving Rea Yui Lin, 73, of California, include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute and polluting a protected waterway.
Prosecutors described the alleged operation as a brazen criminal enterprise and asked a federal judge to detain the men pending trial, suggesting in a motion that there was a risk the defendants would flee and that they were a danger to the community.
“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,” the motion reads.
Phone and email messages seeking comment were left Thursday for the defendants.
Dineh Benally first made headlines when cannabis farming operations in northwestern New Mexico were raided by federal authorities in 2020. The Navajo Department of Justice sued him, leading to a court order halting those operations.
A group of Chinese immigrant workers also sued Benally and his associates. The workers claimed they were lured to northern New Mexico and forced to work long hours trimming marijuana on the Navajo Nation, where growing the plant is illegal.
Just last year, New Mexico marijuana regulators revoked the license of the growing operation in Torrance County, east of Albuquerque. Regulators levied a $1 million fine, saying there were about 20,000 mature plants on site — four times more than the number allowed under the license. Inspectors also found another 20,000 immature plants.
According to the indictment, the enterprise involved the construction of more than 1,100 cannabis greenhouses, the solicitation of Chinese investors to bankroll the effort and the recruitment of Chinese workers to cultivate the crops. Dineh Benally also is accused of approaching the chief of police for the Navajo Nation in an attempt to bribe him with drug proceeds to allow marijuana to be grown on tribal land.
With armed guards securing the farms on tribal land, the indictment alleges, vacuum sealers were used to package marijuana and Chinese workers transported the drugs across state lines.
The defendants also are accused of violating federal clean water standards by installing a dam made of sandbags along the San Juan River to help irrigate the crops. Wells also were drilled to access water.
If convicted, the defendants each face no less than 10 years and up to life in prison, prosecutors said.
Source:
U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, DEA, and EPA Announce Indictment in Massive Marijuana Cultivation Scheme
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury has indicted three individuals for their alleged roles in a large-scale marijuana cultivation and distribution operation. The indictment charges Dineh Benally, 48, his father, Donald Benally, 74, and Irving Rea Yui Lin, 73, a California resident, with multiple offenses related to the illegal marijuana operation.
The charges include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, manufacture of 1,000 kilograms and more of marijuana and 1,000 and more marijuana plants, possession with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms and more of marijuana and 1,000 and more marijuana plants, maintaining drug-involved premises, and two counts of knowingly discharging pollutants into waters of the United States without a permit.
According to the indictment, the operation involved:
- 25 farms covering approximately 400 acres in the Shiprock area
- Construction of approximately 1,107 cannabis greenhouses
- Solicitation of Chinese investors to fund the operation
- Recruitment of Chinese workers to cultivate the marijuana
The defendants are also accused of violating the Clean Water Act by discharging pollutants into the San Juan River, filling in a channel along the San Juan River dam, and installing a sandbag dam along the San Juan River. These actions potentially caused significant environmental damage to the area.
In November 2020, law enforcement seized approximately 60,000 pounds of marijuana and approximately 260,000 marijuana plants from the twenty-five marijuana farms allegedly operated and controlled by the defendants.
On January 23, 2025, during a raid on two additional marijuana farms operated by Dineh Benally in Estancia, New Mexico (as well as his residence), law enforcement identified 10 Chinese workers and seized approximately 8,500 pounds of marijuana, $35,000 cash, illegal pesticides, 43 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms, and a bullet proof vest, among many other things.
“The Department of Justice will protect the sanctity of the ancestral lands and waters of our Tribal partners from those who would exploit them for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez.
“The FBI remains committed to continue to dismantle criminal organizations operating in New Mexico.” said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. “Effective law enforcement requires strong partnerships at every level. This operation is a testament to the power of collaboration between state, local, tribal, and federal agencies to ensure justice is served and our communities are protected.
If convicted, the defendants each face no less than 10 years and up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, and Kim Bahney, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Area Office of the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigated this case with the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and the Navajo Nation Police Department. In addition, the following law enforcement agencies participated in the law enforcement operation: Torrance County Sheriff’s Office, Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, New Mexico Department of Justice, New Mexico State Police, and the FBI El Paso Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGinley is prosecuting the case.
