Are There Cartels in Minnesota? Sinaloa Cartel, Gulf Cartel, 4 Cartel-Linked Federal Cases and Evidence (2026)
Which Mexican cartels and transnational gangs are reported in Minnesota, what federal prosecutors have charged since 2024, and our latest Minnesota 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 Minnesota-specific evidence: Sinaloa Cartel, Gulf Cartel
- Federal drug-trafficking cases since Jan 2024: 5 (4 sentenced, 1 charged)
- Cities in those cases: St. Paul, Minneapolis, Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota
How to read this page
- Reported presence comes from DEA, Congressional Research Service, Justice Department and news reports that name Minnesota 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.
Federal cases in Minnesota (since Jan 2024)
| Date | City | Charges | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-09 | St. Paul | conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine as manager of the Diaz-Aguilar DTO linked to Sureños and the Sinaloa Cartel Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Sentenced 240 months in prison |
DEA |
| 2026-08-13 | St. Paul | conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute as a crucial member of the Diaz-Aguilar DTO affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Sentenced 260 months in prison |
DEA |
| 2026-07-08 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Release names: Sinaloa Cartel | Sentenced | USAO-MN |
| 2025-02-13 | St. Paul, Minnesota | Release names: Gulf Cartel | Sentenced | USAO-MN |
| 2024-08-06 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Release not yet checked; no cartel label | Charged | DEA |
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Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Report errors via our corrections page.