US Warns of Mexican Cartel Efforts to Buy Weapons in Czech Republic

WASHINGTON — The US Justice Department unsealed indictments on Tuesday against four members of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation cartel accused of seeking to purchase arms and ammunition in the Czech Republic.

The four alleged cartel members were arrested in the Czech Republic in June. Two have been extradited to the United States and appeared in a Tampa court on Monday, while extradition is pending for the other two.

The defendants are charged with drug importation conspiracy and firearms trafficking, carrying maximum sentences of life in prison. The Justice Department said two of the accused negotiated the sale of European machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, mortar launchers, and ammunition “to commit acts of violence against rival cartels, civilians, police forces, and military personnel in Mexico.” In exchange, they allegedly paid with fentanyl and methamphetamine smuggled into the United States.

CJNG was designated a “foreign terrorist organization” by the Trump administration last year and is accused of running a global network trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. The United States last week increased reward money for the capture of its leaders to more than $100 million.

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