Amid ongoing claims from Mexican officials regarding the United States being the primary source of weapons for drug cartels, a recent federal indictment from Virginia has uncovered that Bulgarian arms traffickers have been supplying these groups with a range of military gear, which includes rocket launchers, surface-to-air systems, and even tanks.
The indictment targets Peter Dimitrov Milchev and two accomplices, revealing a detailed scheme to equip Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) with high-grade weaponry. This arsenal reportedly consists of machine guns, grenades, sniper rifles, and anti-personnel mines. Notably, the CJNG is recognized as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.
The conspiracy reportedly initiated in 2022 when Milchev and his partners negotiated with CJNG representatives to acquire weapons. They even attempted an experiment, sending 50 AK-47 rifles to the cartel. To mask their actions, Milchev had his associates create fraudulent documents indicating the weapons were sold from Bulgaria to various African nations, when, in fact, they were bound for Mexico—all to evade detection. Their plan involved fabricating a paper trail suggesting the weapons were being sent to Tanzania for military purposes.
The arms dealings continued, with plans for additional sales to CJNG, including some intended for Uganda, allegedly backed by the Russian government. A list comprising over $58 million in available weaponry was prepared by Milchev for the cartel.
On March 8, Spanish authorities apprehended Milchev in Europe and subsequently extradited him to the United States. If convicted, he could face a significant prison term, ranging from 10 years to life. Additionally, one of his associates in Africa has been arrested, while efforts are ongoing to locate another.
