A powerful and secretive criminal cartel operating across the Alpha Quadrant, the Orion Syndicate dealt in smuggling, extortion and violence for more than two centuries.
The Orion Syndicate is the largest organized crime network known to the Federation. Its reach extends across many worlds, and its members pay dues to the organization in exchange for protection and a share of its rackets. Loyalty is enforced ruthlessly, and those who inform on the Syndicate rarely live long. Its roots stretch back at least to the 22nd century, when Orion operatives tangled with the crew of Enterprise under Captain Archer.
In 2375 Starfleet Intelligence sent Miles O'Brien undercover to infiltrate a Syndicate cell on Farius Prime and identify a source leaking the names of Starfleet agents. O'Brien grew close to cell leader Liam Bilby, a likeable career criminal, and was torn when the operation required him to betray the man who had come to trust him.
The Syndicate surfaced repeatedly elsewhere in Deep Space Nine, including when Quark agreed to testify before a Federation grand jury about its activities, which made him the target of a murder attempt. Its long shadow illustrates the lawless margins that persisted alongside the Federation.