From: The Fresno Bee
By Marc Benjamin
• The federal government seized a load of cigarettes headed to Big Sandy Rancheria
• The Fresno County tribe filed a motion in federal court to get the cigarettes returned
• The tribe, a California distributor, says the cigarettes are worth more than $600,000
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Another Central California Indian tribe has a beef with the federal government.
Federal agents seized more than $600,000 in cigarettes destined for the Big Sandy Rancheria, but tribal leaders say the cigarettes were improperly confiscated and have filed legal action to have them returned.
The eastern Fresno County tribe, perhaps best known for its Mono Wind Casino in Auberry, is a major cigarette distributor to other California tribes including Chukchansi, which has its own federal issues — its casino has been under court-ordered closure since October.
