‘We’re part of the Jalisco Cartel’: Mexico concerned by influx of Colombian mercenaries | El Pais

‘We’re part of the Jalisco Cartel’: Mexico concerned by influx of Colombian mercenaries is featured in El Pais.

By Diego Stacey & Pablo Ferri

The arrest of nine former military personnel in Michoacán sheds light on a growing phenomenon in the region, which is experiencing high rates of violence.

The emergence of Colombian military personnel within Mexican criminal networks represents a significant transnational security phenomenon with huge implications for hemispheric stability. Systematic intelligence assessments reveal a sophisticated recruitment mechanism targeting former Colombian military personnel, predominantly by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), leveraging specialized operational expertise. Forensic analysis of recruitment patterns indicates a calculated approach to acquiring high-caliber personnel with advanced counterinsurgency training, particularly targeting individuals with specialized skills in tactical operations, explosive management, and reconnaissance. Scholarly research from national security experts, including ITAM’s Paloma Mendoza Cortés, quantifies the scale of mercenary migration, documenting a dramatic increase from 12,000 regional operatives in 2008 to an estimated 2.4 million by 2018. This trajectory suggests a profound transformation in transnational criminal network capabilities, driven by structural economic vulnerabilities and the monetization of specialized military skill sets. The recruitment mechanism extends beyond individual transactions, representing a complex geopolitical adaptation strategy that challenges conventional understanding of criminal network evolution and regional security infrastructure.

Read the article in El Pais for an in-depth analysis.