82-yr-old US senator charged with drug trafficking, money laundering

An 82-year-old Democratic state senator in Virginia, L. Louise Lucas, has been indicted alongside six others, including members of her family, over an alleged racketeering conspiracy involving the illegal sale of marijuana and money laundering.

According to the indictment, Lucas, president pro tempore of Virginia’s Senate, allegedly operated several businesses that bought and sold illegal quantities of marijuana in the state to build her family’s wealth.

The indictment also accuses her of using her political influence to protect the alleged operation from criminal scrutiny and influence legislation for financial gain.

In a statement on the charges, FBI Director Kash Patel alle...