‘Rather, They Are Recruited’: Sheinbaum Says Mexico’s Security Cabinet Is Investigating Viral Videos of Alleged CJNG and Los Chapitos Fighters in Ukraine — and Whether a Private Company Signed Them Up
Mexico’s Security Cabinet is investigating whether members of Mexican cartels are fighting in the war in Ukraine, President Claudia Sheinbaum said at her morning press conference on Oct. 8, 2026. The probe follows viral videos of alleged fighters cheering the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and “La Chapiza,” the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. “Investigations are underway to see whether the videos are real or not,” Sheinbaum said, as quoted by Milenio.
What Sheinbaum said
According to Milenio (Gaspar Vela, Oct. 8), Sheinbaum said the videos were presented to the Security Cabinet. Authorities must first establish whether they are authentic, then work out how the men reached the conflict and why. Asked about their purpose, she said, “Rather, they are recruited,” and added that they “may have been recruited by a private company that takes part in these conflicts.” El Financiero quoted her as saying investigators would look at whether they were recruited “by a private company, by some army, by some entity of some government.”
Mexico has not contacted Ukrainian authorities. “No, not at the moment, but if necessary the Foreign Ministry would,” Sheinbaum said, according to Milenio.
Milenio posted the president’s remarks on its YouTube channel:
What is still unconfirmed
Excélsior (Fernando Dávila, Oct. 8) reported that authorities are checking who appears in the video, when and where it was recorded, and how Mexicans could have reached the conflict zone. The paper stressed that there is no official confirmation of the men’s identities. The government also has not confirmed that they belong to a Mexican cartel or are fighting in Ukraine. A chant in a video does not by itself show that anyone belongs to a criminal group.
Why it matters on the border
This is Mexico’s first public confirmation that it is investigating the videos. As The Narco Blog reported on Oct. 6, Al Jazeera English and Britain’s Express said cartel members were reportedly joining Ukraine’s International Legion to learn drone warfare. The Washington Post had earlier reported that a U.S. government assessment warned cartels were recruiting Ukraine war veterans, mostly Colombians. U.S. forces are already shooting down cartel-linked drones along the southern border.
Sources
- Milenio (Gaspar Vela), “Sheinbaum investiga nexo de cárteles en Ucrania: ‘Se ve si son reales los videos’”, Oct. 8, 2026
- Excélsior (Fernando Dávila), “México investiga supuesta presencia de integrantes de cárteles en Ucrania”, Oct. 8, 2026
- El Financiero, live coverage of Sheinbaum’s Oct. 8, 2026, press conference
- Video: Milenio on YouTube
- Photos: Cuartoscuro, via Excélsior
Reported Oct. 8, 2026, from Mexican news coverage of the president’s press conference. Mexican authorities have not confirmed the identities of the men in the videos, that the videos are authentic, or that anyone shown belongs to a cartel.