The publication
Are There Cartels in Florida? Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua, 6 Federal Cases and Evidence (2026)
Which Mexican cartels and transnational gangs are reported in Florida, what federal prosecutors have charged since 2024, and our latest Florida 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 Florida-specific evidence: Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua, MS-13, CJNG
- Federal drug-trafficking cases since Jan 2024: 6 (2 charged, 2 sentenced, 1 convicted, 1 extradited)
- Cities in those cases: Miami, Tampa
How to read this page
- Reported presence comes from DEA, Congressional Research Service, Justice Department and news reports that name Florida or a city in it. It shows where groups have been reported, not how many people are involved.
- 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] The state-by-state evidence below goes further: named cities, federal cases and official reports.
Groups reported in Florida
- Tren de Aragua (federal court case, as of 2026): “Charges have been filed across six U.S. Attorney offices, including the Districts of Colorado, Southern Florida, Northern Indiana” [GlobalSecurity.org (mirroring DOJ release), 2026-05-11]
- MS-13 (federal court case, South Florida, as of 2025) [U.S. Department of Justice]
- Sinaloa Cartel (federal court case, as of 2026): “Najera Gutierrez allegedly distributed that cocaine to other high-level drug traffickers in Mexico who imported the cocaine into Atlanta, Chicago, and the states of Florida, New York, and California.” [U.S. Department of Justice]
- Sinaloa Cartel (federal court case, South Florida, as of 2026): “MIAMI – A federal jury has convicted two Orlando men for their roles in a Sinaloa Cartel-directed plot to steal 45 kilograms of methamphetamine, 30 kilograms of fentanyl, and drug proceeds from what they believed was a South Florida drug trafficker.” [U.S. Department of Justice]
- CJNG (federal court case, Tampa, as of 2026): “According to the indictment, Edgar Alejandro Lopez Velasco, Noe Diaz Jimenez, Leobardo Gaxiola Lopez, and Jose Miguel Alvarado Morales are all affiliated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Lopez Velasco and Alvarado Morales were extradited to the Middle District of Florida, had their initial appearances yesterday, and were detained.” [U.S. Department of Justice]
- MS-13 (federal court case, South Florida, as of 2026): “Tirado-Silva was a local MS-13 leader responsible for growing the gang in South Florida.” [U.S. Department of Justice]
- Tren de Aragua (federal court case, as of 2026): “Charges have been filed across six U.S. Attorney offices, including the Districts of Colorado, Southern Florida, Northern Indiana, Middle Tennessee, Western Tennessee, and Eastern Washington for offenses that include firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, among others.” [GlobalSecurity.org, 2026-05-11]
Federal cases in Florida (since Jan 2024)
| Date | City | Charges | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-12 | Miami | conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine; conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Convicted | USAO-SDFL |
| 2026-08-11 | Tampa | narcoterrorism, material support to terrorism, drug importation conspiracy, and firearms trafficking conspiracies; four CJNG members arrested in the Czech Repub Release names: CJNG |
Charged | DEA |
| 2026-02-24 | Miami | conspiracy to distribute controlled substances as a primary leader of the Sinaloa Cartel overseeing drug trafficking and money laundering; smuggled hundreds of Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Extradited | ATF |
| 2024-11-04 | Tampa | conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kg or more of cocaine; 30 kg of cocaine transported from El Paso to Tampa at the direction of a Sinaloa Cartel Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Sentenced Anthony Carroll: 12 years 7 months (jury conviction April 9, |
DEA |
| 2024-10-24 | Tampa | Charged | DEA | |
| 2024-05-16 | Miami | drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine for the Sinaloa Cartel Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Sentenced life (Apodaca-Alvarez, Roque Bustamante); 262 months (Grupee |
ATF |
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Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Report errors via our corrections page.