WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities on the largest Native American reservation in the U.S. have charged two tribal members with illegally growing marijuana on the Navajo Nation, marking just the latest development in a years-long case that also has involved allegations of forced labor. Tribal prosecutors announced the charges Thursday, claiming that Navajo businessman Dineh Benally and farmer Farley BlueEyes had operated a massive marijuana growing operation in and around Shiprock, New Mexico. The marijuana operation near Shiprock began making headlines in 2020 when local police found Chinese immigrant workers trimming marijuana in motel rooms in a nearby community. On the Navajo Nation, President Buu Nygren said no one is above the law. “Anyone coming into our communities who seeks to harm the (Navajo) Nation or our Navajo people will be held accountable under my administration, no matter who they are,” he said in a statement.

Source: Daily Nation January 05, 2024 07:58 UTC