The United States Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) on Friday (December 5) concluded a two-day workshop for Bulgarian prosecutors on techniques for investigating and prosecuting organized crime and money laundering at a Prosecutor’s Office’s Training Facility.  

More than 30 prosecutors from all levels of Bulgaria’s legal system participated in the workshop, which DOJ conducted with local partners.  In addition to sharing U.S. best practices critical to the fight against transnational organized crime, the workshop focused on effective techniques for tracking and prosecuting illicit financial flows and money laundering, a function that has grown significantly more complex in the era of cryptocurrencies.  The event also underscored the vital role that U.S.-Bulgaria cooperation has in taking organized crime leaders off the streets and putting them behind bars. 

H. Martin McDowell, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, stated: “Transnational organized crime is a problem that affects all countries.  We are pleased to be able use our long history catching and successfully prosecuting criminal groups to help our Bulgarian law enforcement partners eliminate organized crime here.”  He added: “Embassy-organized programs like this significantly contribute to our combined ability to protect both our nations’ citizens from groups that aim to harm them.  We look forward to continuing our highly effective collaboration in this area.” 

In 2025, the United States and Bulgaria significantly expanded law enforcement cooperation across several areas, leading to breakthroughs in identifying organized crime activities and apprehending and successfully prosecuting the perpetrators.  Among other positive effects, the strengthened cooperation is effectively reducing the level of human and narcotics smuggling into and through Bulgaria.

Source: U.S. Embassy Sofia