On Thursday, September 25, in Varna, U.S. and Bulgarian law enforcement agencies took an important step forward in coordinating efforts to combat organized crime in the Black Sea region. Convening leading members of both countries’ law enforcement and border protection agencies, the Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) laid the groundwork for greater U.S.-Bulgarian cooperation in fighting narcotics smuggling, trafficking-in-persons and human smuggling, and the importation of counterfeit goods. Representatives of the Diplomatic Security Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Customs and Border Protection traveled to Varna to meet with counterparts, share tools and techniques, and identify areas to collaborate in detecting criminal operations and arresting and prosecuting the groups behind them. Bulgarian authorities from the regional directorates of the Ministry of the Interior, General Directorates for Combatting Organized Crime and Border Police, the heads of the Customs Agencies at the Ports of Varna and Burgas, as well as regional judges, prosecutors, and investigative bodies all participated in the engagement.  

Discussing our enhanced law-enforcement collaboration, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires H. Martin McDowell stated: “Organized crime harms communities in Bulgaria and the United States. By working more closely together, we better protect our citizens – especially those in the Varna and Burgas regions – from the very real dangers of illegal narcotics and illicit entry by criminals and terrorists. We welcomed this important opportunity to do outreach, raise awareness, and make new contacts on the Black Sea coast.”  

Regional Security Officer Keith Easter added: “Our partnership with Bulgarian authorities is growing stronger every day. Joint efforts like today’s meeting enable us to share proven strategies in the fight against transnational organized crime, keeping harmful drugs and individuals out of both of our countries. We look forward to even greater crime-fighting success in the future.”  

The United States and Bulgaria are significantly expanding cooperation in the areas of law enforcement and border security. In 2025, this enhanced coordination has helped derail major drug smuggling enterprises, identified multiple known or suspected terrorists, prevented dangerous cyber-attacks, and deployed improved joint investigations to bring perpetrators of transnational organized crime to justice. 

Source: U.S. Embassy Sofia