Judge upholds federal block on tribal cigarette shipments

A California federal judge ruled that federal regulators were justified in blocking the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians from shipping cigarettes after their products were resold to non-Native customers without collecting state taxes. The tribe argued the decision violated tribal sovereignty, but U.S. District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes upheld the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' enforcement under the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act. The case highlights ongoing legal tensions between tribal commerce and state regulations.