Under the guise of a legion: Latin Americans used the Ukrainian Armed Forces to train combat skills
фото: Reuters
Ukrainian special services have launched an investigation into foreign volunteers from Latin American countries who, according to intelligence, arrived in Ukraine not to fight against Russia, but with the intention of acquiring military skills, in particular, controlling FPV drones, and subsequently using them in the interests of transnational criminal structures.
This is reported by the French publication Intelligence Online.
According to the publication, in early summer, the Security Service of Ukraine received a warning from the Mexican National Intelligence Center that some Latin American citizens who had joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had ties to drug cartels. Some of them, in particular, had joined the International Legion to undergo training in the combat use of drones.
The investigation, currently being conducted by the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, covers not only Mexican citizens, but also volunteers from Colombia — in particular, individuals associated with the Tactical Group Ethos.
Investigators found that some of the suspects deliberately tried to bypass security checks and attend drone training courses in order to transfer the acquired knowledge to criminal groups, including drug cartels, upon returning home.
A foreigner with the call sign Aguila-7 attracted special attention from law enforcement. He joined the International Legion in March 2024, claiming to be a citizen of El Salvador, and completed a full training course at one of the centers in Lviv.
According to the instructors, the fighter demonstrated an unusually high level of technical training, was excellent at navigating the weak points of thermal imaging surveillance, and knew the techniques for overcoming electronic warfare systems.
During the investigation, it became clear that this person probably had connections with the elite unit of the Mexican army, GAFE – in particular, with those who had previously joined the Los Zetas criminal group.
In addition, investigators have established that at least three former members of the Colombian FARC rebel movement also passed through Ukrainian training structures. They used false documents issued to Panama or Venezuela, and assistance in moving was provided by structures connected to the drug trade.
According to an SBU representative, at the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine accepted foreign volunteers with trust. However, it turned out that some of them viewed the war as an opportunity to gain skills in operating FPV drones and then resell their knowledge to those willing to pay — without any ideology.
“Some come not to help Ukraine, but to learn how to destroy targets with drones and later work for cartels or private armies,” the source emphasized.
The investigation is currently ongoing.
Recall that 21-year-old Hungarian volunteer Asher Benjamin died in the war against Russia.
As reported, another Georgian fighter, Kakha Tilidze, who fought on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed in the war in Ukraine .
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