The publication
Are There Cartels in Ohio? Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua, 2 Cartel-Linked Federal Cases and Evidence (2026)
Which Mexican cartels and transnational gangs are reported in Ohio, what federal prosecutors have charged since 2024, and our latest Ohio 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 Ohio-specific evidence: Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua, MS-13
- Federal drug-trafficking cases since Jan 2024: 4 (4 sentenced)
- Cities in those cases: Cincinnati, Toledo, Ohio, Cleveland, Columbus
How to read this page
- Reported presence comes from DEA, Congressional Research Service, Justice Department and news reports that name Ohio 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 Ohio
- Tren de Aragua (news report, Columbus, as of 2025): “ICE agents report they have arrested a member of Tren de Aragua in Columbus, Ohio.” [Ohio News · news/research]
- MS-13 (federal court case, Columbus, as of 2017): “Thirteen individuals alleged to be members and associates of MS-13 were arrested in Central Ohio and Indiana” [U.S. Department of Justice · official record]
Federal cases in Ohio (since Jan 2024)
| Date | City | Charges | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-04 | Cincinnati | drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies running a Cincinnati fentanyl trafficking organization supplied with 100 kilograms of fentanyl from the Sinal Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Sentenced 216 months in prison (Quinell Hadden); 144 months (Alantee H |
DEA |
| 2025-08-22 | Toledo, Ohio | No cartel named in the release | Sentenced | OPA |
| 2024-12-18 | Cleveland | drug-trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances as part of a conspiracy with direct connections to the Sinaloa Cartel Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Sentenced 151 months (Rendon-Luna); 228 months (Ojeda-Elenes); 151 mon |
FBI |
| 2024-05-10 | Columbus | Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl No cartel named in the release |
Sentenced {'defendant': 'Luis Martinez-Torres', 'penalty': '120 months |
USAO |
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Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Report errors via our corrections page.