The publication
Are There Cartels in Tennessee? Tren de Aragua, Beltrán Leyva Organization, Reported Groups and Evidence (2026)
Which Mexican cartels and transnational gangs are reported in Tennessee, what federal prosecutors have charged since 2024, and our latest Tennessee 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 Tennessee-specific evidence: Tren de Aragua, Beltrán Leyva Organization, MS-13, Cárteles Unidos
- Federal drug-trafficking cases since Jan 2024: 0
How to read this page
- Reported presence comes from DEA, Congressional Research Service, Justice Department and news reports that name Tennessee 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 Tennessee
- Beltrán Leyva Organization (federal court case, Memphis, as of 2026): “moved up to 300 kilograms of cocaine per week to Atlanta, Memphis, and other cities” [U.S. Department of Justice (NDGA)]
- 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, as of 2024): “operates throughout North and Central America, including in El Salvador, Mexico, New York, California, Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina” [ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)]
- Cárteles Unidos (news report, Knoxville, as of 2026): “The investigation into the United Cartels began in the Eastern District of Tennessee, with a seizure of methamphetamine in a small town outside Knoxville” [The Star News Network, 2026-07-03]
- Tren de Aragua (federal court case, Middle Tennessee, 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]
- Tren de Aragua (federal court case, Western Tennessee, 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]
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Last reviewed: September 30, 2026. Report errors via our corrections page.