Are There Cartels in Virginia? Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, 5 Cartel-Linked Federal Cases and Evidence (2026)
Which Mexican cartels and transnational gangs are reported in Virginia, what federal prosecutors have charged since 2024, and our latest Virginia 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 Virginia-specific evidence: Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG
- Federal drug-trafficking cases since Jan 2024: 5 (2 sentenced, 2 convicted, 1 charged)
- Cities in those cases: Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria
How to read this page
- Reported presence comes from DEA, Congressional Research Service, Justice Department and news reports that name Virginia 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.
Named in multi-state or national actions that include Virginia
These federal actions or reports cover several states at once. They show Virginia was among the places named, not that a group has an established presence here.
- Tren de Aragua (news report, as of 2026): “Operation spanned South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Nebraska” [Republican Nation · news/research]
- MS-13 (federal court case, as of 2026): “leaders of the Hollywood Locos Salvatrucha clique, which operated in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere” [ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), 2026-02-24 · official record]
Federal cases in Virginia (since Jan 2024)
| Date | City | Charges | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-02 | Alexandria | narco-terrorism conspiracy; conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (ELN) Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Sentenced 30 years (narco-terrorism conspiracy) + 20 years (material s |
Release |
| 2026-06-30 | Alexandria, Virginia | Release names: CJNG | Convicted | USAO-EDVA |
| 2026-05-22 | Alexandria, Virginia | Release names: Sinaloa Cartel | Charged | OPA |
| 2025-04-11 | Alexandria | conspiracy to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Sentenced six years and six months in prison (Li Pei Tan); co-conspira |
DEA |
| 2024-10-30 | Alexandria, Virginia | Release names: Sinaloa Cartel | Convicted | USAO-EDVA |
Our Virginia coverage
No stories yet. New coverage appears here automatically.
Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Report errors via our corrections page.