The United States has charged Bulgarian citizen Petar Dimitrov Mirchev and three others with participating in an international organization for the purpose of distributing cocaine, possession of firearms — including automatic and heavy weapons — in connection with drug trafficking, and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The indictment is filed in the Eastern District Court of Virginia.

According to the indictment, since September 2022, Mirchev, together with Elisha Odhiambo Asumo (Kenya), Michael Katungi Mpeirwe (Uganda) and Subiro Osmond Muapinga (Tanzania), participated in the illegal supply of military weapons to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) — one of the most brutal and powerful transnational criminal organizations in Mexico. The weapons included machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, night vision devices, rifles, anti-personnel mines, and more.

The CJNG used these weapons to facilitate the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine to the United States. On February 20, 2025, the CJNG was officially declared a terrorist organization.

Mirchev held a series of meetings with individuals posing as CJNG members and agreed to organize and coordinate arms deals without being detected by international agencies. He recruited Asumo, who obtained a false document issued by Tanzania as a cover for the arms deliveries. Mpeirwe and Muapinga were also involved in the scheme.

As a test shipment, 50 AK-47 assault rifles with magazines and ammunition were exported from Bulgaria, actually intended for the CJNG, but officially accompanied by documents indicating another recipient.

The defendants did not stop there. They planned to deliver even more powerful weapons, including anti-aircraft missiles, drones and ZU-23 systems. Mirchev compiled a list of weapons worth about 53.7 million euros (approximately $58 million), and his partners again pledged to provide documents that would conceal the true recipient, the Mexican cartel.

Court records show that Mirchev was connected to the supply of weapons to Viktor Bout, who was convicted in the United States of conspiracy to murder American citizens and officials, exporting missiles and aiding a terrorist organization.

Petar Mirchev was arrested in Madrid on April 8 by Spanish authorities and awaits extradition to the United States. If convicted, each of the defendants faces a minimum of 10 years to life in prison. | BGNES