Mexico’s security chief says drug cartels are recruiting former Colombian soldiers
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels are actively recruiting former Colombian soldiers, leading Mexican authorities to deny entry to numerous Colombians attempting to cross the border in recent weeks, Mexico’s security chief revealed on Tuesday.
Following the apprehension of 12 Colombians in Michoacan last week in connection with a deadly mine attack that claimed the lives of eight Mexican soldiers, Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch disclosed that nine of the individuals were ex-soldiers, while the remaining three were civilians with weapons expertise.
The deep-rooted connections between organized crime factions in Mexico and Colombia have been well-documented. Colombian drug traffickers historically controlled the production and transportation of cocaine and heroin, later collaborating with Mexican cartels to transport drugs across the U.S. border as Caribbean trafficking routes became more challenging to navigate due to increased U.S. enforcement efforts.
Decades of internal strife in Colombia have resulted in a surplus of former soldiers, paramilitaries, and guerrillas possessing combat experience and weapons training.
Colombians have been implicated in various high-profile incidents, such as the 2021 assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moïse and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Mexican immigration authorities have recently turned away 69 Colombians seeking entry into Mexico, several of whom admitted to being recruited by criminal organizations. García Harfuch highlighted that both the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels were actively seeking Colombian recruits.
Expressing concern over the impact of the arrests on negotiations with Mexico to reduce the number of Colombians denied entry at Mexican airports, Colombia’s ambassador to Mexico, Fernando García, emphasized the importance of ongoing discussions between the two countries.
In March, the Colombian government reported progress in talks with Mexico to establish mechanisms for verifying information on individuals attempting to enter Mexico.
Mexican authorities previously apprehended eight Colombians in Michoacan in October 2023 for their alleged involvement in producing explosives for cartel drones.
It is not uncommon for Mexican cartels to enlist former soldiers from other countries. The Zetas, known for their ties to Mexico’s military, previously recruited ex-members of Guatemala’s elite special forces unit, the Kaibiles.
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