The publication
Are There Cartels in Washington, D.C.? CJNG, Los Zetas, 18 Cartel-Linked Federal Cases and Evidence (2026)
Which Mexican cartels and transnational gangs are reported in District of Columbia, what federal prosecutors have charged since 2024, and our latest District of Columbia coverage. Every item links to its source.
Cartels in the U.S.: map and all states · Mexico cartel map
At a glance
- Groups reported with District of Columbia-specific evidence: CJNG, Los Zetas, Cárteles Unidos, Cártel del Noreste, Tren de Aragua, Sinaloa Cartel
- Federal drug-trafficking cases since Jan 2024: 21 (6 sentenced, 6 extradited, 5 charged, 3 convicted, 1 indicted)
- Cities in those cases: Washington, Washington, D.C., Washington, District of Columbia
How to read this page
- Reported presence comes from DEA, Congressional Research Service, Justice Department and news reports that name District of Columbia or a city in it. It shows where groups have been reported, not how many people are involved.
- Multi-state actions (a national indictment or a multi-district operation) are listed separately and don’t count as evidence of presence in this state.
- Federal cases are Justice Department, U.S. Attorney, DEA, FBI and HSI announcements since January 2024. We name a cartel only when the release itself does; other cases are listed as drug-trafficking cases. Charged people are presumed innocent until convicted, so we don’t list defendants’ names here. Follow the link to read the release.
- What it doesn’t tell you: cartel activity in your neighborhood, or crime rates. It is a record of what officials and reporters have published.
Nationwide: the DEA’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment says associates, facilitators and affiliates of the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG operate in almost all 50 U.S. states. [Small Wars Journal (summary of DEA NDTA 2025), 2025-05-18 · news/research] The state-by-state evidence below goes further: named cities, federal cases and official reports.
Groups reported in District of Columbia
- Tren de Aragua (news report, as of 2024) [Homeland Security Newswire, 2024-12-31 · news/research]
Named in multi-state or national actions that include District of Columbia
These federal actions or reports cover several states at once. They show District of Columbia was among the places named, not that a group has an established presence here.
- MS-13 (federal court case, as of 2026): “Hollywood Locos Salvatrucha Clique (the HLS clique), which operated in and around… North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere” [U.S. Department of Justice · official record]
Federal cases in District of Columbia (since Jan 2024)
| Date | City | Charges | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-04 | Washington, D.C. | Release names: Cárteles Unidos | Charged | HSI |
| 2026-08-27 | Washington | conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl for importation into the United States on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel No cartel named in the release |
Convicted | DEA |
| 2026-08-05 | Washington, D.C. | Release not yet checked; no cartel label | Charged | DEA |
| 2026-08-05 | Washington | Conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for unlawful importation into the United States; Use of firearms (including machineguns/des Release names: CJNG |
Indicted | DOJ |
| 2026-07-22 | Washington, D.C. | Release names: Los Zetas | Convicted | OPA |
| 2026-01-21 | Washington, D.C. | Release names: CJNG | Charged | USAO-DC |
| 2025-12-18 | Washington, District of Columbia | Release names: CJNG | Sentenced | OPA |
| 2025-08-14 | Washington, D.C. | Release names: Cárteles Unidos | Charged | OPA |
| 2025-07-30 | Washington | major drug trafficking conspiracy as co-founder and top leader of the Los Cuinis drug cartel No cartel named in the release |
Sentenced 30 years in prison |
DEA |
| 2025-07-30 | Washington | international money laundering conspiracy as a high-ranking CJNG member Release names: CJNG |
Convicted | DEA |
| 2025-06-20 | Washington | Release names: Los Zetas | Sentenced | DOJ Office of Public Affairs |
| 2025-04-25 | Washington, D.C. | Release names: Los Zetas | Extradited | OPA |
| 2025-03-07 | Washington | major drug trafficking conspiracy and firearms offenses as co-founder and leader of CJNG Release names: CJNG |
Sentenced life in prison plus 30 years, to run consecutively |
DEA |
| 2025-02-27 | Washington | drug trafficking, racketeering and related offenses as an alleged CJNG leader Release names: CJNG |
Extradited | DEA |
| 2025-02-27 | Washington | drug trafficking, racketeering, murder and related offenses as alleged leaders of the Zetas Release names: Cártel del Noreste |
Extradited | DEA |
| 2025-02-21 | Washington | drug conspiracy involving importation of cocaine and methamphetamine for the CJNG Release names: CJNG |
Sentenced 20 years and 10 months in prison |
DEA |
| 2024-10-16 | Washington, D.C. | Release names: Cártel del Noreste | Charged | OPA |
| 2024-05-25 | Washington | Release names: Sinaloa Cartel | Extradited | DOJ Office of Public Affairs |
| 2024-05-10 | Washington | conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine for importation; conspiracy to distribute listed chemicals for CJNG methamphetamine production Release names: CJNG |
Extradited | DEA |
| 2024-05-10 | Washington, D.C. | Release names: CJNG | Extradited | OPA |
| 2024-02-23 | Washington, D.C. | Release names: CJNG | Sentenced | HSI |
Our District of Columbia coverage
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Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Report errors via our corrections page.