In a major blow to cross-border criminal networks operating in the Four Corners region, a Shiprock man has pleaded guilty to orchestrating one of the largest illegal marijuana cultivation schemes in New Mexico history, an operation that not only flooded communities with illicit drugs but also poisoned the San Juan River with toxic waste. Dineh Benally, 48, faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison—potentially life—after admitting to 15 counts including drug trafficking conspiracy, manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and more than 1,000 marijuana plants, maintaining a drug-involved premises, illegally discharging pollutants into the San Juan River in violation of the Clean Water Act, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, unlawfully employing illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, smuggling undeclared pesticides into the United States, and concealment of records in a federal investigation. The scheme, which spanned years and involved over 30 farms across more than 400 acres on Navajo Nation lands in San Juan County, came to light through a multi-agency investigation that exposed the dark underbelly of illegal cannabis production in rural New Mexico.

From roughly January 2018 to November 2020, Benally and his associates built an empire of 1,100 greenhouses, employing local Navajo workers alongside Chinese nationals, many undocumented, to grow and process marijuana.

They deceived Chinese investors by creating sham companies and fake cultivation licenses, pocketing fees of $20,000 to $50,000 per investor plus a cut of the harvest. Federal agents seized about 260,000 marijuana plants and 60,000 pounds of processed product during a November 2020 raid, marking one of the biggest busts in the state's history. But the environmental toll stands out as particularly egregious for San Juan County residents, where the San Juan River serves as a lifeline for drinking water, irrigation, and cultural practices among the Navajo people.

Benally constructed an illegal sandbag dam and filled in river channels, dumping sand, rocks, and agricultural waste directly into the waterway—an unpermitted discharge that violated federal clean water protections. "The crimes here represent nothing less than foreign interests poisoning our land, wildlife, and people both up and down stream," said Kim Bahney, Special Agent in Charge of the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division.

This pollution not only endangers aquatic life but also poses long-term health risks to downstream communities reliant on the river, exacerbating vulnerabilities in an area already grappling with water scarcity and contamination from legacy mining. The operation didn't end with the 2020 raid. Benally pivoted to a second site near Estancia, New Mexico, from January 2022 until January 23, 2025, where he ran an unauthorized grow despite a revoked state license.

There, he tampered with utility meters to steal electricity and smuggled in banned Chinese pesticides.

A January 2025 raid uncovered 8,500 pounds of marijuana, $35,000 in cash, illegal chemicals, methamphetamine, firearms, and a bulletproof vest. The full scope unraveled publicly on September 23, 2025, when Benally entered his guilty plea in federal court. This case underscores the intertwined threats of organized crime and environmental degradation in San Juan County, a region transitioning from coal-dependent economy to uncertain diversification amid power plant closures.

Illegal grows like Benally's exploit cheap rural land and labor while undermining legitimate agriculture and tourism efforts. "Exploiting workers, desecrating land and poisoning rivers for profit is not business, it is criminal, and it will be met with justice," stated U.S.

Attorney Ryan Ellison. The collaboration among the FBI, EPA, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Nation Police, and local agencies like the San Juan County Sheriff's Office highlights a unified front against such threats. Sentencing details remain pending, but the plea agreement stipulates fines up to $10 million or twice the profits gained, plus environmental penalties of $5,000 to $50,000 per day of violation, followed by at least five years of supervised release.

For Navajo Nation communities, the conviction offers a measure of accountability, but recovery efforts for the river could take years.

Acting Navajo Nation Attorney General Colin Bradley emphasized the partnership's role: "I commend the cooperation of all the Tribal, Federal, and local partners in bringing this case to justice." As federal prosecutors wrap up, local leaders in Farmington and Shiprock are watching closely, hoping this serves as a deterrent to similar operations that prey on the area's resources and people