Trump Administration Drops Charges Against South Dakota Farmers

Criminal charges brought by the Biden administration against South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude over a disputed 25-acre fence line adjoining the Buffalo Gap National Grassland have been dropped by the Trump administration. The Maudes, fifth-generation farmers, faced indictment and severe penalties after the federal government accused them of grazing cattle on federal land, escalating what had previously been an informal grazing agreement into a criminal case. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem criticized the prosecution as politically motivated and an example of federal overreach. Rollins announced that not only were the charges against the Maudes dismissed, but the Department of Agriculture would also halt similar actions against other Americans in comparable disputes. The case drew national attention to government handling of minor civil land disagreements and its impact on family farms. Local leaders and ranching groups had supported the Maudes throughout the ordeal, highlighting broader concerns over regulatory enforcement.