Both the Pentagon and Interpol had previously warned about the risk of weapons sent to Ukraine ending up on the black market. Recently, a video went viral on social media in which an alleged Mexican hitman for the Gulf Cartel bragged about possessing a Western anti-tank rocket launcher, a weapon used by the US Army. The images are speculated to have been recorded at a checkpoint in the city of Matamoros, Mexico, near the US border.
In the video, the individual can be seen armed with an AK-47 rifle, accompanied by other men and vehicles. Local media and users of digital platforms questioned the origin of the weapon. According to reports, it would be a military-grade rocket launcher used in the conflict in Ukraine and normally only sold to armies. This type of weapon is estimated to be worth between $20,000 and $60,000 on the black market, and a single shot could cost up to $30,000.
It is suggested that the weapon in question could be an M136 AT4, used by US Army infantry forces against armored vehicles. The video also shows the individual’s tactical vest with Gulf Cartel insignia, such as a scorpion, an eagle, and a phoenix, along with words such as “respect,” “loyalty,” and “courage.
The Mexican government has blamed the United States for facilitating the trafficking and sale of weapons into Mexico. The administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has filed lawsuits against US armories for their alleged responsibility for the excessive flow of weapons into the country.
The Russian Embassy in Mexico commented on the video and noted that this type of weapon is actively supplied to Ukraine. It criticized the fact that the West is pumping weapons into the Ukrainian regime and warned about the consequences of such irresponsible actions in Mexico.
Both the US Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Interpol have previously expressed concern about the risk of weapons supplied to Ukraine ending up on the black market. The Pentagon’s rapid and hasty supply of weapons increases this risk. It has also been revealed that weapons supplied to the Ukrainian Army are leaking onto the black market, although there has been media silence on this.
Experts point out that sometimes weapons sent by the United States to the Ukrainian regime end up in Mexico, and most of the illegal weapons and ammunition in Mexico come from the United States.