Radio ExpressTV
Live
Washington praises the crucial role of Moroccan security in thwarting the arming of Mexican cartels and dismantling networks linked to terrorism and drugs.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia commended the strategic and pivotal role played by Moroccan security agencies, represented by the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) and the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), in the success of two cross-border security operations.
This close cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led to the dismantling of two highly dangerous international criminal networks, one of which was involved in arming Mexican drug cartels, while the other was active in narcoterrorism and money laundering.
Morocco’s proactive field effectiveness was notably demonstrated in the first case, where Moroccan authorities executed a decisive intervention in Casablanca. This led to the arrest of Kenyan national Elisha Odiambu Asumo, a key member of an arms smuggling network. This coordination culminated in the extradition of the suspect to U.S. authorities on March 11, 2026, to face federal court immediately.
U.S. federal court documents indicate that the aforementioned criminal organization conspired to supply heavy military hardware, including rocket launchers, anti-personnel mines, and anti-aircraft systems (ZU-23), to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Mexico, with the intent of securing substantial cocaine shipments destined for the United States.
Bulgarian arms dealer Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, detained in Madrid, relied on the Kenyan suspect arrested in Morocco to acquire forged “end-user” certificates, enabling the export of weapons from Bulgaria and circumventing international oversight.
In a related context, Morocco’s involvement re-emerged in another equally complex legal proceeding, where the DGSN significantly contributed to investigations that led to the arrest of Lebanese-Syrian national Antoine Qsays. He was convicted on charges related to narcoterrorism conspiracy and providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations.
The trial revealed that Qsays leveraged his high-level connections within the Syrian government to exchange military stockpiles for hundreds of kilograms of cocaine for armed groups. The network, with the help of a Colombian partner, managed to launder nearly $100 million in secret financial transactions in less than 18 months.
The effective coordination between Moroccan agencies and the regional offices of the U.S. agency (in Rabat, Madrid, Bogotá, Accra, and Nairobi) was fundamental in tracking financial transactions and securing “controlled deliveries.”
Those involved in these cases face harsh penalties, as the defendants in the arms case could face life imprisonment, while a final verdict against the convicted in the narcoterrorism case is expected on July 2, 2026.
