US Investigating Alleged Links Between Ukrainian Officials And Mexican Cartels, Russia Claims | Sahara Reporters

SVR said the alleged training had been funded with proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States.

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has claimed that United States law enforcement agencies are investigating alleged links between Mexican drug cartels and officials close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the training of cartel members in combat drone operations.

The Russian intelligence agency alleged that at least 80 members of Mexican criminal groups have undergone training with the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU), including instruction in assembling and operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for combat.

There is also reporting that Mexican cartel operatives have sought combat and FPV-drone experience in Ukraine, although the specific claim that at least 80 were trained by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and that Zelensky-linked officials were paid with drug proceeds comes from the Russian intelligence statement.

In a statement issued by its Press Bureau on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the SVR said the alleged training had been funded with proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States.

According to the Russian agency, US investigators uncovered information linking Mexican drug trafficking organisations to representatives of the Ukrainian government while investigating the activities of the cartels.

“The Americans have revealed that criminal groups have been sending their militants to Ukraine for a long time to learn the skills of assembling and using unmanned aerial vehicles in combat conditions,” the SVR claimed.

“At least 80 people who have undergone appropriate training as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been identified.”

The SVR further alleged that payments for the training were transferred to officials close to Zelensky from money generated by the cartels through drug trafficking operations in the United States.

The agency did not identify the alleged Ukrainian officials, the Mexican cartel organisations involved, or provide evidence publicly substantiating the claims.

The Russian intelligence service claimed that officials in Zelensky’s administration were aware of the alleged activities and were concerned that trained first-person-view (FPV) drone operators could pose an increased threat to US law enforcement personnel involved in counter-narcotics operations along the US-Mexico border.

“The office of the Ukrainian president is aware that the appearance of trained FPV drone operators in the ranks of drug cartels poses risks to the lives of US law enforcement officers involved in operations to combat drug trafficking on the border with Mexico,” the SVR said.

The allegations come amid growing concerns over the increasing use of drones by Mexican criminal organisations.

Mexican cartels have used drones for surveillance, drug trafficking and attacks, while reports have also emerged of cartel members seeking battlefield experience in Ukraine.

A 2025 analysis by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said the Russia-Ukraine war had accelerated the sophistication of drone warfare and warned that knowledge developed on the battlefield could be transferred to organised criminal groups.

The organisation cited reports of a Mexican cartel member being sent to Ukraine to learn FPV drone operations.

US and Mexican authorities have also faced growing concerns over the use of drones by cartels along the southern US border.

Reports in February 2026 said cartel operatives had increasingly used drones to monitor law-enforcement activities and attack rivals and Mexican security forces.

Earlier in October 2026, Mexican authorities reportedly seized sophisticated drones equipped with fibre-optic technology and explosives in Sinaloa, highlighting concerns about the increasing technological capabilities of criminal groups.

However, the SVR’s latest allegations go beyond the previously reported cases of cartel members seeking combat experience in Ukraine, alleging a broader and organised relationship involving at least 80 individuals and payments to officials close to Zelensky.

The Russian agency also claimed that the alleged links could further damage Zelensky’s relationship with Washington at a time when the Ukrainian president is facing pressure over corruption allegations, military policy and other disagreements with the US administration.

The SVR said officials around Zelensky fear that the alleged cartel connection, alongside what it described as corruption and disagreements with Washington over Ukrainian military operations, could eventually cause the White House to reconsider its support for Kyiv.

“All this, as Zelensky’s entourage fears, can overflow the White House’s cup of patience and push it to finally abandon support for the bloody Kyiv clown,” the Russian intelligence agency said.