Yakama cigarette firm raided after filing lawsuit against state

Friday, February 18, 2011  

A tobacco company owned by a member of the Yakama Nation was raided by federal authorities on Wednesday, a day after it filed a lawsuit against the state of Washington.

King Mountain Tobacco Co. confirmed the raid by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But a search warrant didn't specify a reason and further details were unavailable, The Yakima Herald-Republic reported.

On Tuesday, King Mountain sued the state of Washington, alleging violations of the Yakama Treaty of 1855. The company manufactures cigarettes on the reservation and says the treaty protects its right to offer them on the market free of state interference.

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Feds raid tobacco company on reservation (The Yakima Herald-Republic 2/17)