John Joel Glanton

I promise you nothing.

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

In our time the mercenary rides rampant, as in the African wars 60 years ago (Katanga, Biafra, Angola, etc.)

I built an AI web research agent to collect news about these guns-for-hire. Details and observations below.

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

Source:

He fled Maduro's Venezuela. Now he leads Ukraine's South American battalion.

October 5th, 2026

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

The commander of the 250-strong "Bolivar Battalion" in Ukraine's army is an attorney and former Venezuelan consul to Moscow who fled to Ukraine from Caracas in 2005 when he ran afoul of the Chavez regime. (1/2)

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

South Americans are the largest regional contingent of the 10K foreign fighters in Ukraine's ranks.

He says most newcomers are "total frauds", but the best are former Colombian soldiers who join because soldiering is the only life they know. (2/2)

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

@anpzhu more to come on this story i expect

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

The ambush in the DRC last month that killed a soldier from New Zealand and wounded Tim Kennedy also killed or wounded 20 others, mostly Congolese.

The sophistication of the attack suggests direct involvement by the Rwandan army (pictured).

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

@YaBoiLeopold interesting allegation. similar to how the NVA would cycle soldiers through the vietcong.

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

@RickOrthDATT wonder if some of these same vehicles were in angola

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

South African-made Ratel personnel carrier in Rwandan army service.

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

Source:

Erik Prince's forces suffer battlefield loss in Congo, former UFC fighter among wounded, sources say

October 9th, 2026

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

M23 rebels in a captured Congolese army vehicle in 2025.

Photo: AFP

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

Runingu River in South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo

Photo: Edwin Alden

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

Source:

Erik Prince and Romanian mercenaries – how DRC’s Tshisekedi outsourced the war on M23.

October 1st, 2026

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

European contractors with the firm Agemira RDC operated Chinese-made CH-4 drones in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The CH-4s bombed M23 rebels in battles around South Kivu province during the Summer of 2025, before Agemira's contract was abruptly terminated.

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

Source:

Claims Swirl Around U.S. Marines Injured Aboard Mystery Vessel Attacked In The Strait Of Hormuz

September 28, 2026

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

US Marines who suffered smoke inhalation after an Iranian missile attack may have been aboard an arsenal ship.

Prior owner MNG Maritime used the ship to stage weapons for private security crews in the Gulf of Oman.

Photo: Sam Bagnall

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

Veterans of Colombia's US-trained security forces have appeared as mercenaries in Libya, Haiti, Yemen, and Sudan.

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

Source:

US expands its prosecution of 2021 assassination of Haiti's president.

September 22nd, 2026 (3/3)

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

US prosecutors unveiled new charges against former Colombian soldiers and Haitian gang leaders in the 2021 assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise. (1/3)

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

Details of the plot included using pandemic-era small business loans to purchase weapons and gear in the US, and smuggling body armor to Haiti in shipments labeled "medical xray vests." (2/3)

[John Joel Glanton @glanton1849]

Gold ingot from the Loulo-Gounkoto mine complex in Mali.