Members of Mexican drug cartel indicted in Virginia

HARRISONBURG, Va. – A dozen members of a Mexican drug cartel have been indicted in Virginia on federal drug conspiracy charges.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia says the indictments were unsealed Monday against members of Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen says the criminal organization has members and associates “actively operating” in the Shenandoah Valley and Southside Virginia.

All 12 defendants were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and marijuana. Two defendants face additional charges.

The indictment charges that between 2015 and 2019, the defendants trafficked the drugs from Mexico into the U.S. It alleges that cartel members recruited people from Mexico to live in Axon and Winchester to facilitate distributing the drugs.