Russian authorities detain two Colombian nationals accused of fighting for Ukraine
Russian authorities have detained two Colombian nationals suspected of participating in combat activities alongside Ukraine, reports RIA Novosti citing the FSB. The security service identified the detainees as José Aaron Medina Miranda and Alexander Ante. Colombian media had reported that the two men went missing in Venezuela while on their way back home to Colombia.
"José Aaron Medina and his partner Alexander Ante were preparing to return home after a lengthy struggle against Russia. As they were traveling back to Colombia, their families lost contact with them in a neighboring country. Alongside Alexander Ante, a 46-year-old former soldier from Huila who also fought against the Russians, they were making their way to Colombia. However, when they reached Caracas, Venezuela, their traces vanished. The family of the former Cauca military man is seeking help from various national and international organizations to ensure the safety of former Colombian servicemen and facilitate their return home," reported El Tiempo.
According to the newspaper, a family friend of one of the servicemen, who was in Venezuela and in contact with a policeman from Caracas, confirmed that authorities detained the men for wearing Ukrainian military uniforms. The Venezuelan officer indicated that this posed a considerable risk given Russia’s alliance with Venezuela, adding that an extradition request from the Russian embassy would be probable.
Propaganda outlet Readovka reports that the men were "likely detained in Venezuela and then extradited to Moscow, where FSB officers were already awaiting them."
“At this moment, we know he was traveling from Warsaw to Madrid and then to Venezuela. From there, he continued his journey to Bogotá, then to Cali and Popayán. This was confirmed when he told my mother he had just arrived in Venezuela and was disembarking. At some point, he called and said he would be home by 1 PM but never showed up," recounted Astrid Medina, a relative of the detainee, to El Tiempo.
The FSB reported that during the search, documents confirming the Colombians' service in the Ukrainian Armed Forces were seized, along with military uniforms marked with the "Carpathian Sich" battalion insignia. The security service released an edited video of the interrogation and search, showing the men being led through a corridor with their hands behind their backs and later "testifying" in Spanish. Among the items allegedly found during the search was a printout resembling a Ukrainian newspaper, featuring a story about the history of Kyiv on the front page and, presumably, a photograph of one of the detainees.