Three men have been indicted on federal hate crimes charges in Farmington, New Mexico, a border town where race relations have long been a touchy issue.

Vincent Kee, a 22-year-old member of the Navajo Nation, was kidnapped on April 30. Authorities say the men branded a swastika on Kee's arm, shaved a swastika into the back of his head and wrote "White Power" and other remarks on his body.

The attack was the latest in a string of race-related incidents in Farmington. In 2007, three white men pleaded guilty for attacking a Navajo man. A year prior, police officer shot and killed a Navajo man.

The city and the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission signed an agreement in hopes of improving race relations. But talks nearly failed because the tribe wanted the city to acknowledge past acts of discrimination.

Get the Story:
Swastika case another race issue for NM town (AP 11/30)

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