The publication
Are There Cartels in Montana? Sinaloa Cartel, 2 Federal Cases and Evidence (2026)
Which Mexican cartels and transnational gangs are reported in Montana, what federal prosecutors have charged since 2024, and our latest Montana 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 Montana-specific evidence: Sinaloa Cartel
- Federal drug-trafficking cases since Jan 2024: 2 (1 sentenced, 1 convicted)
- Cities in those cases: Billings, Butte
How to read this page
- Reported presence comes from DEA, Congressional Research Service, Justice Department and news reports that name Montana 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.
Federal cases in Montana (since Jan 2024)
| Date | City | Charges | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-24 | Billings | possession with intent to distribute controlled substances for a Mexico-based drug trafficking ring | Sentenced 14 years and 2 months in prison |
DEA |
| 2025-10-20 | Butte | possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in a large-scale trafficking conspiracy tied to the Sinaloa Cartel Release names: Sinaloa Cartel |
Convicted mandatory minimum 10 years to life (sentencing pending Aug 1 |
USAO |
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Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Report errors via our corrections page.