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Man pleads guilty to operating huge illegal pot growing operation in New Mexico (hired Chinese illegals)
The Albuquerque Journal ^ | Sep 23, 2025 | Olivier Uyttebrouck

Posted on 09/25/2025 9:45:29 AM PDT by CedarDave

A Navajo Nation man charged by federal prosecutors with running a vast illegal cannabis cultivation and distribution ring pleaded guilty Tuesday to 15 felony crimes and faces up to life in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

Dineh Benally, 48, admitted in his federal plea agreement that he operated more than 30 farms covering some 400 acres on land obtained from Navajo Nation members. He also admitted hiring illegal Chinese workers to grow cannabis on his farms.

Benally entered the plea on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque before U.S. Magistrate Judge John F. Robbenhaar.

Benally also admitted that he built an illegal sandbag dam on the San Juan River by dumping sand, rocks and agricultural waste in the river channel to irrigate his crops, the agreement said. Benally also built 1,100 greenhouses as part of his growing operation near Shiprock, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

In November 2020, law enforcement officers seized about 260,000 marijuana plants and 60,000 pounds of processed cannabis from the farms Benally owned, the statement said.

Benally pleaded guilty to 15 federal criminal counts, including two drug trafficking conspiracy charges and four charges of manufacturing with intent to distribute cannabis.

“The FBI remains committed to identifying, investigating, and dismantling criminal organizations operating in New Mexico.” Justin A. Garris, special agent in charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division, said in a statement.

Other charges listed in the plea include unlawfully employing illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, smuggling illegal pesticides into the U.S. and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Benally, his father Donald Benally, 74, and Irving Rea Yui Lin, 73, were arrested Jan. 23 when federal agents raided two cannabis farms in Estancia, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Agents also identified 10 Chinese workers at the farms.

(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...


TOPICS: China; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: Arizona; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: aliens; china; crime; drugs; illegals; navajonation; newmexico; pot
Federal charges are pending against Donald Benally and Yi for the Estancia locations.
1 posted on 09/25/2025 9:45:29 AM PDT by CedarDave
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To: CedarDave

I guess they should have paid the man his taxes.


2 posted on 09/25/2025 9:47:29 AM PDT by crusty old prospector
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To: CedarDave

he shoudla grown it in Maine because apparently illegal pot growing in Maine by chinese is a-ok- there are, or were at least over 200 known illegal pot farms in Maine many run by chinese- weird that they knew about them but did nothign to arrest the owners-


3 posted on 09/25/2025 9:52:23 AM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: CedarDave

“… he operated more than 30 farms covering some 400 acres…”
“ Benally also admitted that he built an illegal sandbag dam on the San Juan River by dumping sand, rocks and agricultural waste in the river channel to irrigate his crops, the agreement said. Benally also built 1,100 greenhouses as part of his growing operation near Shiprock, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.”

Pretty industrious for a criminal. Life seems too long. They should send him to the state prison farm. I bet he could whip it into shape in no time.


4 posted on 09/25/2025 9:57:05 AM PDT by VanShuyten ("...that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals.”)
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To: CedarDave

I drove through Estancia 25 years ago on my way to Corona to go on a deer hunt with some acquaintances of mine. Even back then, the town looked dead. Practically the whole “downtown” strip was boarded up.

Corona is much smaller, but at least it looked lived-in.

I had no desire to return to either place after that experience.


5 posted on 09/25/2025 10:18:41 AM PDT by Disambiguator
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To: CedarDave
Agents also identified 10 Chinese workers at the farms.

Identification is great - what will they do with them now?
6 posted on 09/25/2025 10:27:27 AM PDT by posterchild
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To: CedarDave

Stoners hit hardest


7 posted on 09/25/2025 11:04:20 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: CedarDave

Wasn’t this on Tulsa King last season?


8 posted on 09/25/2025 12:35:20 PM PDT by Semper Vigilantis (A Free Press MAY distort the truth, but a Controlled Press WILL distort the truth.)
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To: CedarDave

Sounds like an episode out of Sylvester Stallone’s “Tulsa” TV series.


9 posted on 09/25/2025 12:58:04 PM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: All

10 posted on 09/25/2025 4:26:56 PM PDT by Liz (May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead (Irish blessing))
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To: All

Yui Lin mug shot.

11 posted on 09/25/2025 4:32:18 PM PDT by Liz (May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead (Irish blessing))
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To: Liz

Navajo?


12 posted on 09/25/2025 5:01:50 PM PDT by tinamina (Remember when Biden said “we have developed the most sophisticated voting fraud system ever”)
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To: tinamina

yup


13 posted on 09/25/2025 5:39:02 PM PDT by Liz (May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead (Irish blessing))
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To: posterchild

BETCHA AN OPERATION THIS SIZE HAS FAR MORE THAN 10


14 posted on 09/25/2025 6:31:36 PM PDT by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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