Others work for private security firms. Networks built during Plan Colombia and early recruitment drives by firms such as Blackwater normalized overseas contracting. Battlefield Skills, Criminal DemandUkraine’s war has expanded Colombian résumés into high-intensity conventional combat, including drone operations and trench warfare. Mexican cartels seeking tactical innovation have recruited veterans of Ukraine, accelerating the diffusion of armed drone tactics in the Western Hemisphere. The result is a more fluid and less regulated marketplace for violence, with Colombian veterans at its center.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 09, 2026 06:09 UTC