‘Nothing but Chapiza and Nothing but the Jalisco Cartel’: Video of Alleged Fighter in Ukraine Cheering Los Chapitos and CJNG Spreads as U.S. Officials Warn Cartels Are Recruiting Drone Veterans
A video of an alleged fighter in Ukraine has spread widely online. In it, a man in military gear shows off weapons and chants “nothing but Chapiza and nothing but the Jalisco Cartel,” as the Express translated it, a cheer for Los Chapitos and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Al Jazeera English and Britain’s Express reported on Oct. 6, 2026, that Mexican and Colombian cartel members are reportedly joining Ukraine’s International Legion to learn drone warfare. Neither outlet has identified the men or said when the videos were filmed.
What the videos show
The Express credits the clips to an X account. “Chapiza” is slang for the Sinaloa Cartel faction loyal to Los Chapitos, the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. In another clip, a man says “Glory to Ukraine” and “long live Mexico, long live Colombia, long live Panama.” The videos have not been independently verified, and a slogan alone does not show that anyone belongs to a cartel. Al Jazeera described the cartel members as “reportedly” joining the legion.
Al Jazeera published the clip on its YouTube channel:
What U.S. officials have warned
The videos follow a September report by The Washington Post. Citing five U.S. officials and one Mexican official, the Post said an internal U.S. government assessment warns that cartels are using money and coercion to recruit Ukraine war veterans, mostly Colombians, and have sent their own affiliates to the front to gain experience. According to the Post, the cartels are studying ways to beat anti-drone jamming and buying drones that can fly longer and carry heavier explosives. Al Jazeera reported that Mexico warned Ukraine last year about cartel members joining the International Legion.
The State Department said it works with U.S. law enforcement and Ukrainian officials “to adopt measures to mitigate the risk of battlefield skills transfer.” Taras Palianytsia, a foreign-recruitment official in Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, played down the concern. “As for those with bad intentions — even if any such people do come here — there aren’t many of them,” he said.
Drones already over the border
Cartel drones are already a problem on the U.S. border. Retired Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, the former head of U.S. Northern Command, warned that cartels could use battlefield methods to counter or even attack U.S. surveillance drones. The Post reported that U.S. military lasers downed 11 “cartel-linked” drones between Aug. 24 and Sept. 4. The Express says about 6,400 Latin Americans serve in Ukraine’s armed forces, most of them Colombians.
Sources
- Al Jazeera English, “Mexican and Colombian cartel mercenaries filmed fighting in Ukraine,” Oct. 6, 2026
- The Express (Maria Villarroel), via AOL, “Mexican cartel mercenaries filmed fighting in Ukraine to gain experience with drones,” Oct. 6, 2026
- Newsmax Wires, via Yahoo News, “Cartels Tap Ukraine War Drone Skills, Raising US Concerns,” Sept. 22, 2026 (summarizing The Washington Post)
- Photo: Ukrainian Ground Forces, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Reported Oct. 6, 2026, from the news reports above. The videos have not been independently verified, and the men in them have not been identified. The recruitment claims come from unnamed officials quoted by The Washington Post. No one in the videos has been charged with any crime.