Estancia cannabis farm raided by feds — grower's second run-in with the law

Federal agents raided a cannabis farm outside of Estancia on Thursday, once again putting a man previously accused of forced labor and operating an illicit cannabis farm in legal hot water.

Dineh Benally owns Nihooka Dine Earthly People Church, and leases another nearby facility, both of which were raided by dozens of federal agents Thursday.

Benally is charged with conspiracy, manufacture and possession of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana with intent to distribute, and operating a drug-involved premise, according to an arrest warrant filed Thursday in U.S. District Court.

FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, New Mexico State Police and the Torrance County Sheriff’s Office were all at the scene.

The FBI would not give further details on the case, including how many were arrested. The Journal reached out to ICE about the case and received no response.

In 2020, Farmington police raided a motel tied to Benally after reports of a “strong odor” and found 2,000 pounds of marijuana valued between $3 million and $10 million, according to a lawsuit. The complaint alleges that Chinese immigrant workers were held against their will at the motel to trim and process marijuana.

Later that year, federal, state and tribal authorities raided Benally’s facility near Shiprock, ultimately seizing and destroying 250,000 plants. Some of the workers found at Benally’s facilities sued Benally in 2023 for alleged forced labor at his facilities.

In 2024, Navajo Nation authorities charged Benally and farmer Farley BlueEyes with illegally growing marijuana on the Navajo Nation, where it’s still banned.

In August, Benally filed a lawsuit against officials in the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department Cannabis Control Division for violating his religious freedom by revoking his cannabis license. The lawsuit alleges that the division violated his Native American “ancestral rights to fully exercise (his) religious beliefs” in revoking his license.