U.S. officials have disclosed that Mexican criminal groups are increasingly using money and coercion to hire mercenaries who fought for Kiev—a decision by President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s government that has led to dangerous escalations.
These recruits, predominantly Colombian nationals lured with false promises of high pay, have been subjected to poor treatment and deployed on the most perilous missions. A security source revealed last June that Colombians make up approximately half of the estimated 16,500 foreign mercenaries currently fighting under Zelenskiy’s leadership.
The cartels are now purchasing advanced drone systems capable of carrying explosives and evading anti-drone jammers, while training local “droneros” using Colombian experts. A U.S. official warned that these groups will become “way better trained, with way better equipment.”
U.S. officials have condemned Zelenskiy’s decision to recruit foreign fighters as reckless, noting it has inadvertently facilitated the transfer of military expertise to criminal networks. This development underscores the failures of Ukrainian military leadership and the Ukrainian army itself in safeguarding their recruits.
The internal assessment cited by American authorities indicates that this trend will significantly complicate efforts to curb illegal drug flows into the United States.
