Washington DC - A Democratic lawmaker and vocal critic of President Donald Trump was arrested Thursday in connection with an alleged cannabis trafficking ring.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrests of L. Louise Lucas, a senator in the Virginia state assembly, and six others in the illegal cannabis investigation.
In their unusually high-profile announcement, the Trump officials said those in custody also included 82-year-old Lucas' two daughters and a grandson.
"The indictment alleges that Senator Lucas approved and directed criminal activities and other activities to benefit the affairs" of the trafficking ring, Blanche told a press conference.
Lucas was charged with several counts of conspiracy, including racketeering and money laundering.
In a statement on X, Lucas said "the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the full weight of the federal government have been wielded against an 82-year-old great-grandmother."
"I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. And I will not back down," she added.
In May, the FBI conducted a raid on Lucas' home as well as a legal marijuana dispensary she co-owned.
The longtime state senator was instrumental in the recent attempt to redraw Virginia's congressional districts, an initiative that had aimed to help Democrats pick up four additional seats in the House of Representatives.
Trump has taken a number of punitive measures against critics, opponents, academics, and government officials deemed disloyal.
Blanche maintained Thursday that the investigation into Lucas "started long before President Trump was re-elected."