PORTSMOUTH — The FBI executed a court-authorized search warrant on May 6, 2026, at state Senator L. Louise Lucas's district office in Portsmouth as part of a federal corruption investigation. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the search but spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Photos taken during the operation showed an armored FBI vehicle and several agents in camouflage outside the Cannabis Outlet in Portsmouth. Lucas opened the Cannabis Outlet in 2021 to sell legal hemp and CBD products. Virginia has legalized marijuana possession, but retail sales of recreational marijuana remain illegal in the state.

State House Speaker Don Scott urged restraint in reaction to the search. "Right now, there is far more theatrics and speculation than actual information available to the public," Scott said. He added, "More facts are needed before anyone rushes to political conclusions."

U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott also commented on the federal action. "The context must be acknowledged," he said.

Lucas has served as a state senator for 34 years and is the first woman and first African American to serve as president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate. She has been a figure in Virginia politics since the 1980s, having been the first Black woman elected to a city council seat in Portsmouth and the first female shipfitter at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. In recent years, she has also served as chief executive of a Portsmouth business providing residences, day programs, and transportation for intellectually disabled adults.