A Bulgarian citizen, Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, appeared in a US federal court after being extradited from Spain. He is accused of leading an international network dedicated to supplying military weapons to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico's most violent criminal groups. According to the indictment, Mirchev did not act alone. The network included citizens from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda and operated between Europe, Africa, and America to supply the drug trade with weapons. The objective of the operation, according to the investigation, was to strengthen the cartel's capacity to traffic large shipments of cocaine to the United States. A key mechanism of the operation was the fraudulent acquisition of End-User Certificates (EUC), documents that allow for the legal export of weapons. Through these, the accused simulated that the destination of the arms was another country, when in reality it was destined for the CJNG. As initial proof, the network managed to send 50 AK-47 rifles from Bulgaria, along with magazines and ammunition. The magnitude of the scheme was evidenced in the list of arms that Mirchev allegedly offered to the CJNG, valued at over 53 million euros ($58 million). The arsenal included: surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, weapon systems such as the ZU-23, and anti-personnel mines. This level of weaponry reflects a worrying escalation in the firepower of Mexican cartels, which are becoming increasingly comparable to military forces. The case takes on greater relevance after the CJNG was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in 2025, which toughens sanctions against anyone who provides support to it. Another implicated individual, Subiro Mwapinga, was arrested in Ghana and subsequently extradited to the United States. If found guilty, the accused face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life imprisonment in the United States. The case is part of a broader US government strategy to dismantle drug trafficking networks and curb the flow of weapons to criminal organizations in Mexico.
