An American celebrated online and in the media has reportedly been denounced as a prankster seeking to enrich himself off his false image.
A US military veteran who scored battlefield victories as a volunteer combatant in Ukraine and gained fame through media interviews and dramatic Twitter posts has reportedly lied about his exploits to create a false image he could profit from. after the conflict.
James Vasquez, who amassed more than 400,000 followers on Twitter and is regularly quoted by CNN and the New York Times, falsely claimed that the battlefield achievements were his own, Business Insider reported on Sunday. The outlet, which cited allegations from four other foreign volunteers in Ukraine, also confirmed via the Pentagon that Vásquez had lied about his military record when he claimed to have had combat deployments as a US Army sergeant in Iraq and Kuwait. As it turned out, he served as an electrical systems repairman in the Army Reserve and finished his stint there as a Private First Class.
Vásquez’s social media posts, purportedly about his exploits on the front lines, often went viral. “He bragged about capturing Russians and taking out tanks, was regularly interviewed by the media, and made catchy claims, including that he envisioned the ‘punchable’ Tucker Carlson as he prepared for battle.” said Business Insider. Even Adam Kinzinger, then a US congressman, insisted that Vasquez’s Twitter account needed to be verified because “It’s legit and too many people are trying to create fake accounts with it.”
However, Vásquez was fabricating his claims by going to areas where recent battles had taken place, filming videos with destroyed equipment and claiming achievements as his own, other foreign fighters claimed. In one instance, he claimed on Twitter that he was heading to Soledar, where heavy fighting was reportedly taking place, but Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from the area days before.
The allegations against Vásquez apparently began surfacing earlier this year. Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, an American volunteer who works in the media department of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces, said in a March post on Twitter that Vasquez could not have legally gone on combat missions because he did not have a contract with the forces. Armed Forces of Ukraine. (AFU). “I met James Vasquez three times for a total of about four hours,” he told Business Insider. “During our last meeting, in the presence of another person, he turned himself in and confirmed what I knew since last summer, that he was never a member of the AFU.”
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Other fighters told the outlet that Vásquez bragged about becoming a millionaire when the conflict was over. One volunteer stated, “James said, and I quote: ‘I’ll never work as a handyman again. I’ll probably never have to work again after your war. I’m going to be famous.’”
Vasquez sought donations, in some cases to an alleged Ukrainian charity called Ripley’s Heroes. He allegedly also took advantage of the death of Ukrainian-born British wrestler Viktor Yatsunyk by falsely claiming that he had lost his «amigo.» Canadian volunteer April Huggett said: “There is no end to their stolen value.”
Business Insider was unable to reach Vasquez for comment on the allegations. He admitted to the New York Times in March that he had misrepresented his military record and had been kicked out of the US military. “I had to tell a million lies to get by” he said.
Fuente: NEWS.com
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2023-07-17 03:16:26
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