Recommended
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Thursday that her government is investigating the possible presence of Mexican cartels in the war in Ukraine, following the circulation of videos that mention the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
"Yes, they presented it (the case of alleged Mexican criminals in Ukraine) to the security cabinet and investigations are being carried out to see if the videos are real or not," the president stated during her morning press conference.
Her statements come after a video was spread on social media showing alleged combatants in Ukraine making references to the CJNG and the faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known as La Chapiza.
Sheinbaum explained that authorities are seeking to determine how alleged members of Mexican criminal organizations could have joined the European conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
When asked about the possible goals of these individuals, she replied that "they are more likely being recruited," without specifying by which entities or for what purposes.
The president noted that there is still no certainty about the authenticity of the recordings or the mechanisms through which the Mexicans reached Ukrainian territory.
"They could be recruited by a private company that participates in these conflicts, or by some army of some entity in a governmental capacity," she indicated.
Likewise, she specified that Mexico has not yet established contact with Ukrainian authorities regarding this matter.
"No, not at the moment, but if it is necessary, the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs would do so," she assured.
The statements also follow international reports regarding alleged links between Latin American criminal organizations and combatants who have participated in the war in Ukraine.
In September, the American newspaper The Washington Post reported, citing United States and Mexican officials, that Mexican drug trafficking organizations were seeking to incorporate Colombians with military experience in Ukraine to take advantage of their knowledge of drones.
Previously, in 2025, reports circulated about alleged members of Mexican cartels who had reportedly attempted to infiltrate foreign volunteer units fighting on the Ukrainian side to acquire military knowledge.
Sheinbaum insisted that the Mexican investigations must first establish the authenticity of the videos and then identify how those individuals reached the conflict and their motives.
[Publicidad]