Navajo man pleads guilty to massive grow ring
Dineh Benally, a 48-year-old Navajo man, pleaded guilty Sept. 24, 2025 to 15 federal charges for leading an extensive illegal marijuana cultivation and distribution network spanning New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. Prosecutors say the scheme involved more than 1,100 greenhouses, exploited undocumented and foreign workers, smuggled illegal pesticides into the U.S., polluted the San Juan River, and resulted in large seizures of plants, processed marijuana, drugs and weapons; Benally faces a statutory range from a 15-year mandatory minimum up to life in prison when sentenced.
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Navajo man pleads guilty for illegal marijuana grow operations
New information:
- Benally pleaded guilty to 15 federal charges on Sept. 24, 2025.
- Authorities allege the operation built more than 1,100 cannabis greenhouses and seized roughly 260,000 marijuana plants and about 60,000 pounds of processed marijuana in northern New Mexico; a separate raid near Estancia uncovered about 8,500 pounds and $35,000 in cash.
- Indictment and prosecutors say the enterprise smuggled illegal pesticides, employed workers who were in the country illegally (including recruited Chinese labor), and polluted the San Juan River; prosecutors say Benally faces a mandatory 15 years to life in prison.