WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer were joined by Navajo Nation Attorney General Doreen N. McPaul, Acting Deputy Attorney General Kimberly Dutcher, and Acting Chief Prosecutor Jennifer Henry for a momentous occasion to meet with U.S. Attorneys from the states of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico Aug. 26.

Nez and Lizer welcomed U.S. Attorney John W. Huber who serves the District of Utah; Michael G. Bailey who serves the District of Arizona; and John C. Anderson, who serves the District of New Mexico to the Office of the President and Vice President, to discuss ways to improve the coordination of tribal and federal investigations...

BLACK MESA, Ariz. - The Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency announced Aug. 23 that its Criminal Enforcement Department is working to address a case of illegal trash dumping in the community of Black Mesa, Ariz., which is in violation of the Navajo Nation Solid Waste Act, and will seek prosecution of the perpetrators.

Navajo Nation EPA Executive Director Oliver Whaley stated that a report of illegal dumping was recently made to the EPA’s Western Navajo Agency office by local residents, which was then investigated. The Navajo Nation EPA has since cleaned up the illegal dumping site, which consisted of household debris and garbage. While cleaning up the site, the officials...

SANTA FE – More than 40 years after the suit was first filed, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday announced a historic settlement intended to equitably resolve the long-running litigation that developed into the stipulated agreement commonly known as the Duran consent decree.

A preliminary agreement between the state and plaintiffs – approved Aug. 28 by the Hon. Kirtan Khalsa, a federal magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico – would ensure inmates are afforded constitutional protections as to humane treatment while incarcerated, relieve the state of New Mexico of considerable litigation costs relating to the consent decree into the...

McKinley County Sheriff Deputy Clayton Etsitty was on patrol Aug. 26 when he noticed a passenger car traveling eastbound near the intersection of Hubble Street and South Chino.

Etsitty called the vehicle, a Nissan Altima, into Metro Dispatch for a registration check on the license plate. Dispatch then advised that the license plate number matched those on a vehicle that had been reported stolen.

After following the suspect vehicle onto South Chino, Etsitty performed a high-risk traffic stop. He drew his department-issued firearm and told the driver to turn off the vehicle and step out. The driver did so, and was identified as Danielle Kinsel, 33, of Gallup.

Kinsel asked Etsitty was...