The publication

Are There Cartels in Illinois? Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, 6 Federal Cases and Evidence (2026)

Which Mexican cartels and transnational gangs are reported in Illinois, what federal prosecutors have charged since 2024, and our latest Illinois 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 Illinois-specific evidence: Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, Los Chapitos (Sinaloa Cartel), Tren de Aragua, Guerreros Unidos, Beltrán Leyva Organization
Federal drug-trafficking cases since Jan 2024: 6 (4 charged, 2 convicted)
Cities in those cases: Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

How to read this page

Reported presence comes from DEA, Congressional Research Service, Justice Department and news reports that name Illinois 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 Illinois

Sinaloa Cartel (Congressional Research Service, Chicago, as of 2024): “distribution hubs in cities that include Phoenix, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago” [U.S. Department of Justice]
CJNG (Congressional Research Service, Chicago, as of 2024): “The Jalisco Cartel maintains illicit drug distribution hubs in Los Angeles, Seattle, Charlotte, Chicago, and Atlanta.” [U.S. Department of Justice]
Los Chapitos (Sinaloa Cartel) (federal court case, Chicago, as of 2023): “Narcotics, money laundering, and firearms charges were unsealed today in the Northern District of Illinois against four of the Chapitos” [IRS Criminal Investigation (reprinting DOJ release)]
Tren de Aragua (news report, as of 2026): “key operations in Colorado, Tennessee, New York, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, Washington, Georgia, Nebraska and Texas, the DOJ said” [The Center Square]
Guerreros Unidos (federal court case, Chicago, as of 2014) [U.S. Department of Justice, 2014-12-10]
Beltrán Leyva Organization (federal court case, Chicago, as of 2009) [U.S. Department of Justice]
Sinaloa Cartel (federal court case, Chicago, 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]

Federal cases in Illinois (since Jan 2024)

Date	City	Charges	Stage	Source
2026-03-02	Chicago, Illinois	Release names: Sinaloa Cartel	Charged	USAO-SDCA
2026-02-26	Chicago	terrorism, material support of a foreign terrorist organization, machinegun conspiracy, and methamphetamine and fentanyl importation conspiracy as leader of the Release names: Sinaloa Cartel	Charged	FBI
2025-12-01	Chicago	drug conspiracy and engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise as a head of the Sinaloa Cartel (Los Chapitos) Release names: Sinaloa Cartel	Convicted	HSI
2025-09-24		narcoterrorism; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization; conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering Release names: Sinaloa Cartel	Charged	DEA
2025-09-04	Chicago	narcoterrorism, material support and resources to the Sinaloa Cartel, continuing criminal enterprise, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses as leader of the B Release names: Sinaloa Cartel	Charged	DEA
2025-07-11	Chicago	two counts of drug conspiracy and two counts of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise as a head of the Sinaloa Cartel (Los Chapitos) Release names: Sinaloa Cartel	Convicted	HSI

Our Illinois coverage

Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Report errors via our corrections page.