A dangerous new element in Mexico’s cartel wars: Colombian Mercenaries | Los Angeles Times
A dangerous new element in Mexico’s cartel wars: Colombian Mercenaries by Kate Linthicum and Keegan Hamilton for the Los Angeles Times.
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This article highlights a growing trend in transnational criminal networks involving the recruitment of former Colombian military personnel by Mexican drug cartels. These highly trained veterans, many struggling with limited economic opportunities after years of conflict, are being lured into dangerous mercenary roles through deceptive job offers. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel and other criminal groups are specifically targeting former Colombian soldiers for their combat expertise, explosives training, and tactical knowledge gained from years of fighting guerrillas.
The global trajectory of these mercenaries reveals a sophisticated pattern of military skill migration across complex geopolitical landscapes. Colombian veterans have been documented engaging in conflicts spanning multiple continents, including Ukraine’s resistance against Russian invasion, humanitarian crises in Sudan and Yemen, and now the brutal cartel wars in Mexico. Their recruitment represents a sophisticated transnational criminal adaptation strategy, where cartels leverage specialized military training to enhance their operational capabilities. Former soldiers, often earning minimal pensions and facing limited civilian economic opportunities, become attractive recruits for criminal networks seeking advanced tactical expertise. The recruitment mechanisms are intricate, involving private security firms, social media platforms like TikTok, and elaborate deception networks that promise lucrative international security jobs. Once recruited, these mercenaries frequently find themselves trapped in coercive environments, forced to participate in extreme violence, with reports of torture, forced combat, and systemic human rights violations. Their experiences underscore a broader global phenomenon of military skill commodification, where combat experience becomes a tradable asset in complex transnational criminal ecosystems.
This article illuminates critical national security implications that extend beyond Mexico’s immediate borders. Colombian and Mexican governmental responses reveal the complex challenges of managing transnational criminal networks. Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s legislative efforts to sign a United Nations convention against mercenary recruitment signal a proactive diplomatic approach to stemming this flow of combat-trained personnel. Simultaneously, former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration leadership suggests these developments could justify more aggressive interventionist strategies, potentially including targeted military actions against cartel infrastructure. The presence of these foreign fighters transforms cartel conflicts from localized criminal enterprises into sophisticated transnational security challenges. Their expertise in explosive technologies, combat training, and strategic recruitment of underage fighters represents a significant escalation in cartel operational capabilities. Moreover, the economic drivers underlying this phenomenon, systemic veteran marginalization and limited post-conflict economic opportunities, highlight deeper structural issues in military personnel reintegration, presenting a complex challenge for policy makers across multiple jurisdictions.
