A Bulgarian citizen, Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, appeared in a US federal court last Friday following his extradition from Spain, where he was arrested in Madrid. He is accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine and participating in a network to supply military-grade weapons to Mexican drug cartels, particularly the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
According to the Eastern District of Virginia's Attorney's Office, Mirchev faces charges of conspiracy to possess firearms, including machine guns and explosive devices, in connection with drug trafficking activities. In the same case, Kenyan citizen Elisha Odhiambo Asumo was extradited from Morocco on March 11 of last year and presented to a US court the following day.
According to the indictment, since at least September 2022, Mirchev, Asumo, Tanzanian citizen Subiro Osmund Mwapinga, and Ugandan Michael Katungi Mpweire, who remains at large, allegedly conspired to illegally supply weapons to Mexican criminal organizations. The alleged arsenal included machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, sniper rifles, night vision equipment, landmines, and anti-aircraft systems.
US authorities allege that the defendants believed the CJNG would use these weapons 'to facilitate the illegal trafficking of large shipments of cocaine into the United States.' The Donald Trump government designated the CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on February 20, 2025, which reinforces the international prohibition on supplying it with weapons.
The investigation indicates that Mirchev held meetings with individuals claiming to represent the CJNG, in which he allegedly agreed to coordinate illegal arms transactions while attempting to evade international authorities. Mwapinga was arrested in Accra, Ghana, and extradited to the US on July 25. Mpweire remains at large.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life imprisonment. However, the Attorney's Office emphasized that 'actual sentences for federal crimes are often less than the maximum penalties' and will be determined by a judge in accordance with federal guidelines and other legal factors.
The case was investigated by the US Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Special Operations Division, with support from the Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs and authorities from Spain, Morocco, and Ghana, including law enforcement bodies and justice ministries. The Attorney's Office stated that this process is part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative aimed at combating transnational criminal organizations, drug trafficking, and violent crimes.
As part of the scheme, Asumo was allegedly recruited to fraudulently obtain an End-User Certificate (EUC), a document that simulates the legitimate end-use of the weapons. According to court records, Asumo and Mwapinga managed to obtain an EUC from the United Republic of Tanzania authorizing the importation of AK-47 rifles. As initial proof, the group allegedly exported a shipment of 50 AK-47 assault rifles with their magazines and ammunition from Bulgaria, intended for delivery to the CJNG.
Authorities also allege that the defendants continued to negotiate the supply of additional weapons, which would include surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, and ZU-23 systems. 'For example, around October 2024, Mirchev discussed the possibility of supplying the CJNG with surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, and the ZU-23 anti-aircraft weapon system, capable of firing 23 rounds of 152 mm and designed to shoot down low-flying targets, such as helicopters. Mirchev explained that the ZU-23 can automatically track targets and fires high-explosive rounds that could shoot down helicopters,' the indictment states.
Mirchev allegedly created a weapons list valued at approximately 53.7 million euros (about 58 million dollars), while Asumo and Mwapinga agreed to provide documentation to conceal the true destination of the arsenal. The court file also links Mirchev to previous activities related to arms trafficking, including his alleged involvement in supplying weapons to convicted trafficker Viktor Bout, who was convicted in the US for terrorism-related offenses and conspiracy.
Regarding the arrests, Mirchev was arrested by Spanish authorities in Madrid on April 8 of last year, while Asumo was detained the same day in Casablanca, Morocco.
