FBI Executes Search Warrants at Virginia Sen. L. Louise Lucas’s Office and Co-Owned Marijuana Dispensary

FBI agents executed court-authorized search warrants on May 6, 2026, at the Portsmouth legislative office of Virginia State Sen. L. Louise Lucas and at The Cannabis Outlet, a marijuana dispensary she co-owns next door.

Approximately 8 to 10 agents in marked uniforms arrived at Lucas's office in the Lucas Professional Center. Staff members were ordered outside and barred from re-entering while agents removed boxes of materials. At the neighboring dispensary, SWAT team members arrived with weapons drawn, ordered occupants to exit with hands raised, and placed at least three people in handcuffs before taking them into custody.

The FBI's Norfolk field office confirmed it was executing a court-authorized federal search warrant in Portsmouth. FBI spokeswoman Cassandra Temple stated the bureau was conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity that day. The agency added there is no threat to public safety and has not publicly linked the searches to redistricting or any other political matter.

Agents seized electronics and other items from both locations. Lucas, 82, arrived at the scene shortly after the operation began and told a reporter she had no idea what was happening. She was not arrested and returned home by midday, according to a longtime political consultant.

No charges have been filed against Lucas or anyone else publicly identified in the case. The searches form part of a federal corruption probe focused on possible corruption and bribery related to marijuana dispensary businesses. Two people familiar with the case said the investigation opened during the Biden administration and has continued under the current administration.

Lucas has represented Portsmouth in the Virginia Senate since 1992 and serves as President Pro Tempore. She was a leading architect of a redistricting effort that culminated last month when Virginia voters approved a referendum by a margin of more than 100,000 votes. The measure allows mid-decade redrawing of congressional district lines under certain conditions.

The resulting maps could shift the state's congressional delegation from its current 6-5 Democratic edge to as many as 10 Democratic seats out of 11. Rep.