The tiger was the whole reason homes were raided in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Department of Game and Fish, along with federal law officers, searched two homes on August 12 believing a tiger was being illegally held as a pet.
There was no tiger, but they did find a 1m-long alligator.
The officers also found 17 guns including an AK-47 rifle and an AR-15 rifle, a handgun, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and $USD41,000 in cash ($AUD59,500), local police said.
About 22kg of marijuana was also found at the homes.
But the missing tiger is what has authorities worried.
They believe it is less than a year old and weighs 27kg.
A fully grown tiger can weigh about 270kg, so they want to find the cub fast.
While some US states allow tigers as pets, in New Mexico only a permitted zoo may possess them.
The department has asked the public to report any information on the missing tiger.
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