Two Colombian citizens have been arrested in Moscow on charges of mercenarism, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti confirmed. Jose Aron Aranda Medina and Alexander Ante, who allegedly fought alongside Ukrainian forces in the current conflict between Moscow and Kyiv, were detained by Russian authorities on August 30, as per court records from the Lefortovo Court.

They face up to 15 years in prison under Russian law.

But it is Medina and Ante's circuitous journey from the battlefields of Ukraine to a Moscow courtroom – with an ill-fated stopover in Venezuela – that is likely to draw international attention.

According to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, the pair were initially apprehended at Caracas airport on July 18 whilst en route from Ukraine to Colombia via Warsaw and Madrid. Their attire – military uniforms complete with the symbols of the Ukrainian Armed Forces – reportedly aroused the suspicions of Venezuelan security forces, who promptly arrested them.

"The last time I spoke to my husband was on July 18 at 5:38 p.m.," Cielo Yasmin Paz, Medina’s wife, told Colombian outlet Blu Radio.

"He was in Venezuela, in Caracas, at the airport," she added, confirming that her husband never made it to his final destination.

Their families had been left in the dark until now, as even the Colombian government was unable to track their whereabouts.

"We have not filled out any paperwork yet because we just found out this morning that my husband and his friend had been extradited to Russia," Yasmin said, lamenting a lack of support from the Foreign Ministry and the Colombian embassy in Moscow.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who claims to have won a recent disputed election, has long been a close Kremlin ally.

As bne Intellinews reported last month, Russian mercenaries of the Wagner PMC were spotted in Caracas alongside Venezuelan forces while cracking down on protesters during the post-election demonstrations that swept the country since July 28.

Still, the circumstances surrounding the alleged mercenaries’ journey are murky, as it remains unclear why they chose to travel in military clothes via Caracas – a destination offering just a handful of direct flights to Europe, often sold with a high price tag. Moreover, it is unlikely the men were oblivious of Venezuela’s warm relations with Russia, second only to Cuba in the Latin American region.

Unconfirmed reports claim Medina and Ante had been fighting as part of the "Carpathian Sich," a Ukrainian military unit, since the summer of 2023. Like many other Colombian veterans, they were enticed to enlist by salaries topping $3,000 a month – a lifeline for families at home. Their recent decision to leave Ukraine was reportedly prompted by significant losses suffered by their unit and a desire to return to their relatives.

Last February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov acknowledged the involvement of Colombian nationals as mercenaries in the Ukraine war, urging Bogota’s leadership to “recognise the dangers this poses.”

According to a report by the Robert Lansing Institute, Colombians – alongside citizens of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela – have also been lured into joining the Russian army, supported by a recruitment network set up by Moscow’s diplomatic institutions in the region.