Several weeks ago, videos posted on social media allegedly showed Mexican mercenaries in Ukraine who claimed to belong to powerful Mexican cartels. Those appearing in the videos are wearing the uniform of the Ukrainian army, which is currently engaged in a war of attrition against Russia.

A video released by Al Jazeera shows an unidentified person claiming to be part of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and another who says he is part of “La Chapiza,” a faction led by the sons of former leader and drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Claudia Sheinbaum herself said that the authenticity of the videos must be confirmed.

Despite this caution, the videos raised a major question in Latin America: How was it possible that alleged members of some of the world’s most dangerous drug cartels were fighting in the ranks of the Ukrainian Army?

These concerns come on top of the investigations that Sheinbaum’s Mexican government has launched regarding the use in Mexico of military technology similar to that used in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

According to a theory reported by some media outlets and Mexican authorities, there is a possibility that several cartel members have infiltrated Ukrainian ranks to learn how to operate kamikaze-style drones.

Foreign fighters fill Ukraine military shortages

It is no secret that thousands of foreign soldiers have participated in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, many of whom belong to mercenary groups and are former criminals, such as those operating within the group known as the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, although the full extent of how these recruitment networks operate has not yet been revealed.

“Ukraine faces a severe shortage of military personnel on the front lines, and foreign fighters serve as a safety valve to avoid overburdening its own population. This creates a tension between keeping recruitment channels open and vetting applicants. Although Ukraine has collaborated with Mexico and Colombia to identify criminal actors, the screening processes remain inadequate,” Henry Ziemmer, a research associate with the Program on the Americas at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told El País.

Regarding the possibility that members of Mexican drug cartels are participating in the war in Ukraine, Zimmer stated: “There are several people traveling to Ukraine with the intention of acquiring skills to bring back home, or who are already serving there and are being explicitly contacted by criminal groups. It is becoming an increasingly institutionalized method for the proliferation of drone expertise in the Americas.”

Russia accuses Kyiv of training Mexican cartels

For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry alleged that nearly a hundred members of Mexican cartels have fought in the Ukrainian ranks and have been trained and educated in the use of military technology. Furthermore, it reported that the Zelenskyy government is aware of this situation.

Citing an alleged US investigation into the situation in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement asserts: “The Americans have revealed that criminal groups have long been sending their militants to Ukraine to train them in the assembly and combat use of unmanned aerial vehicles.”

An investigation by The Intelligence reported that while the drone academy affiliated with the Ukrainian Foreign Legion initially reserved its courses for Ukrainian nationals, it has gradually opened up its training on drone use to foreign volunteers, among whom there are a large number of Mexicans and Ukrainians.

If these allegations are confirmed, Latin American governments – which have declared drug trafficking groups to be their number one enemy – would have to face even more extreme threats, specifically involving the use of advanced weapons, which some Latin American armies may not be prepared to confront. Hence, the war demonstrates once again that the spoils it leaves behind do not lie quietly on the battlefield, but are scattered throughout the world.

From BT News via This RSS Feed.