In Madrid, the high-profile case involving international arms trafficking has concluded. Spain’s National Court has approved the extradition of Bulgarian citizen Petar Dimitrov Mirchev to the United States. American authorities consider him a key player in a scheme to supply a large shipment of military equipment to one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations.
Mirchev was arrested in early April in the Spanish capital at the request of U.S. intelligence services. He is linked to Viktor Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death,” and is suspected of attempting to broker a deal worth tens of millions of euros. According to investigators, since the fall of 2022, Mirchev met with representatives of a Mexican cartel to discuss the details of the weapons transfer. The list of items offered included assault rifles, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, mines, and even air defense systems.
Investigators believe these arms were intended to support large-scale cocaine shipments to the United States. Mirchev is charged with involvement in a criminal conspiracy, illegal arms trafficking, and aiding a terrorist organization. Such charges in the U.S. can carry severe sentences, up to life imprisonment.
The judges rejected the defense’s arguments, which tried to prove that the deal was initiated by an undercover agent. According to the Spanish magistrates, Mirchev acted consciously and overcame all obstacles set up to reveal his intentions. The court also found no grounds to believe that the charges against him have no equivalent in Spanish law—in question are crimes related to organized crime, arms and drug trafficking, as well as document forgery.
The extradition of the suspect will only be possible on the condition that the US provides guarantees: if Mirchev is sentenced to life imprisonment, it will not be without the possibility of release. Case files indicate that the Bulgarian involved three more people in the operation; two have already been detained, while one remains at large. The court’s decision can be appealed, but the final word will rest with the government of Spain.
