Venezuela detained two Colombians who fought for Ukraine, might extradite them to Russia
Two Colombian ex-soldiers who fought for Ukraine have been detained in Venezuela and face extradition to Russia. Charged with mercenarism by Russia's FSB, they face up to 15 years in prison.
Venezuela has detained two Colombian citizens and might to extradite them to Russia, as they were fighting in Ukraine’s International Legion.
As reported by El Tiempo, José Aron Medina, a former Colombian military officer, and his compatriot Alexander Ante, joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2023 to fight against Russia. After serving in Ukraine, Medina and Ante decided to return home due to the difficult and complex situation they experienced there, including witnessing many deaths.
Medina and Ante disappeared at Caracas airport in Venezuela while en route back to Colombia. Their disappearance is causing concern as Venezuela is an ally of Russia. There are fears that the men might be handed over to Russian authorities.
According to defense news outlet Militarnyi, Russia’s FSB also reported that it had detained two Colombian citizens who, according to the intelligence service, had participated in hostilities on the side of Ukraine.
The sister of one of the detainees said that they had attracted the attention of Venezuelan police because they had been wearing Ukrainian army uniforms.
Russia’s FSB reports that a criminal case for mercenarism has been opened against Colombian citizens. They face up to 15 years in prison on this charge. The FSB did not explain where and when the Colombians were detained.
After the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine announced the creation of the International Legion of Ukraine as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and invited foreign citizens to join it. Volunteers from more than 50 countries serve in the International Legion.
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