Navajo Nation Charges Two Members in Illegal Marijuana Case

Charges follow years-long case involving allegations of forced labor and illegal marijuana cultivation on the reservation.

Navajo Nation authorities have charged two tribal members, Dineh Benally and Farley BlueEyes, with illegally growing marijuana on the reservation.
The charges are the latest development in a years-long case that also involves allegations of forced labor involving Chinese immigrant workers.
Benally, a former Navajo Nation presidential candidate, had previously been charged with interference with judicial proceedings, but those charges were dismissed in December.
New Mexico regulators recently rescinded Benally’s license for another growing operation in central New Mexico, citing numerous violations.
A group of Chinese immigrant workers are suing Benally and his associates, claiming they were lured to northern New Mexico and forced to work long hours trimming the marijuana.