According to French media outlet Intelligence Online, Mexican cartel drug trafficking groups have been sending their members to Ukraine under false documents to learn how to operate drones. The Mexican National Intelligence Center (CNI) recently issued a warning to the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU). The warning suggests that the presence of Mexican volunteers may have ulterior motives—they are suspected of joining foreign volunteer units not for ideological reasons, but to gain access to advanced knowledge of Ukrainian drones, particularly FPV drones.
At the request of Mexican intelligence agencies, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), with the involvement of the Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate, launched an investigation into several Spanish-speaking individuals who joined foreign volunteer units in Ukraine. Some Mexicans and Colombians arriving in Ukraine showed a strong interest in drone piloting while neglecting other training aspects. Among them was a Mexican volunteer, codenamed Aguila-7 by the SSU, who registered in March 2024 under a false Salvadoran identity. He posed as a humanitarian worker and joined a foreign volunteer unit, later completing a full drone training program in Lviv.
Ukrainian instructors noted his high qualifications, including proficiency with simulated launchers and the ability to identify thermal imaging blind spots. Further investigation revealed that he had served in Mexico’s elite special forces unit GAFE, which is trained in guerrilla tactics, counterinsurgency, and the use of modern weapons, including drones. Some former GAFE soldiers later joined the extremely violent Los Zetas cartel, which was founded by deserters from the same unit.
According to a European security source involved in identity checks at the Slovak border, at least three former combatants used Panamanian and Venezuelan documents to pass customs. It is believed that some of them operate as private military contractors on the front lines. In Mexico, local cartels are already using drones to attack each other.
