Three people allegedly connected to an illegal marijuana operation on Navajo Nation lands were indicted by a federal grand jury last week. One of the individuals charged ran for vice president of the Navajo Nation in 2014.
Dineh Benally is one of three individuals charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, which is illegal on the Navajo Nation.
Law enforcement first seized 60,000 pounds of marijuana and 260,000 marijuana plants in 2020 from 25 marijuana farms allegedly operated by the defendants.
Recently, law enforcement said they raided an additional two farms owned by Benally. The 2020 operation involved the usage of more than 1,100 cannabis greenhouses and the recruitment of Chinese workers to cultivate plants, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison.
