Dineh Benally alludes to a sovereign right to grow cannabis, which he says is a religious sacrament for Native people in interview with New Mexico Political Report | Cannabis Law Report | Where to buy Skittles Moonrock online
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Probabaly not the best spokesperson considering his past history
Three months ago, New Mexico issued a $1 million fine to embattled Navajo marijuana grower Dineh Benally and — citing him for “egregious” violations — ordered him to shut down his Torrance County cannabis farm. Benally has done anything but.
Instead of closing up shop, he has expanded his operation along a rural highway near Estancia. In a March 21 phone interview, Benally alluded to a sovereign right to grow cannabis, which he says is a religious sacrament for Native people.
“This is an ancestral plant,” Benally said. “This plant belongs to us as Native people. We as Native Americans, when we’re born, we’re entitled to this land…Anything that grows, that belongs to the Native American.”
This is not the first time Benally’s marijuana ventures have sparked controversy and legal issues, from criminal indictments and a civil suit to community outrage. In 2020, he helped orchestrate a massive illegal marijuana operation on the Navajo Nation that employed more than 1,000 Chinese immigrant laborers — until it was shut down by a raid that netted nearly $2 billion in plants. In the wake of the Shiprock bust, criminal actions were filed against Benally and federal authorities said they launched investigations into human trafficking.
In 2022, Benally received a state license to grow cannabis on acreage south of Estancia, where other problems ensued. The New Mexico Licensing and Regulation Department’s Cannabis Control Division revoked his permit on Dec. 23 and issued him one of the largest fines in its history, charging that his farm was operating in “blatant disregard for public health and safety, and for the rule of law.”
Inspectors found uncontrolled pest infestations, a near-total lack of quality controls and none of the required systems to prevent plants from being sold on the black market. Most notably, they reported that he was growing some 20,000 mature marijuana plants — four times the volume his license allowed.
In the interview with Searchlight New Mexico, Benally waved off the violations. “We have our rights, we have our religion, we have our sacraments,” he said. He protested being treated “like I’m violating people’s rights and I’m violating a law — a law that is man-made, a law that is corrupt and a law that is discriminating.”
Benally said he is undertaking the Estancia venture in partnership with the Oklevueha Native American Church (ONAC), led by James “Flaming Eagle” Mooney, a controversial figure whose claims about being a Native American have long been questioned. According to court filings, Mooney is not a registered member of a federally recognized tribe.
Yet Mooney has persisted in his claims — both for himself and for Benally, who Mooney has named as leader of the ONAC for the Navajo.
“He [Benally] doesn’t need to be registered with the state,” Mooney told Searchlight. “New Mexico thinks they want to register and organize and supervise the development of our sacrament? That ain’t gonna happen. We don’t need the state’s registration. We’re a sovereign nation.”
Mooney said Benally’s farm is supplying ONAC members across the country and “all around the fricking world.”
When asked how much cannabis was being exported, Mooney replied: “As much as we can raise.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, DEA, and EPA Announce Indictment in Massive Marijuana Cultivation Scheme
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Mexico
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.
The sandbag dam was installed so that water would pool at a separate location to be used to irrigate the marijuana crops.
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.
Benally’s illegal marijuana growing operation that spans two farms in Estancia, New Mexico
“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.
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