Ex-US Soldier Accused Of Running UAE-Backed Kill Mission In Yemen, Earned $1.5 Million A Month

A former US military veteran has come under renewed scrutiny after a report claimed he earned as much as $1.5 million per month while allegedly running a covert assassination programme for the United Arab Emirates in Yemen. The allegations, now central to a US lawsuit, have brought fresh attention to claims that former American special forces personnel were hired to target political opponents during the Yemen conflict.

Lawsuit Links Former US Veterans To Secret Kill Programme In Yemen

According to a report by the Associated Press, Yemeni lawmaker Anssaf Ali Mayo has accused former US soldier Abraham Golan of being part of a mercenary network that was hired in 2015 to kill him. Mayo alleges the operation was part of a broader UAE-backed effort to eliminate political figures who opposed the Emirates' role in Yemen.

Court documents cited in the case state that Golan launched a private military contracting firm, Spear Operations Group, in San Diego with former Navy SEAL Issac Gilmore. The company reportedly employed several former US special forces operators.

The lawsuit alleges that Spear Operations entered into an arrangement with the UAE to carry out "targeted assassinations" in Yemen. Under the alleged deal, the group was said to be receiving $1.5 million every month, along with bonus payments tied to successful killings.

Mayo Names Three Men In War Crimes And Attempted Killing Case

While the claims around the assassination campaign are sweeping, Mayo's legal complaint specifically names two military veterans and the founder of Spear Operations. They have been accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and an attempted extrajudicial killing linked to the plot against him.

Golan, Gilmore, and another former US Army Special Forces member, Dale Comstock, have all previously acknowledged their involvement in the mission, including the failed attempt to kill Mayo.

"There was a targeted assassination program in Yemen," Golan told Buzzfeed in 2018. "I was running it. We did it. It was sanctioned by the UAE within the coalition."

The UAE has admitted that it supported counterterrorism operations in Yemen, but it has denied ever targeting political figures as part of those efforts.

2015 Aden Blast Becomes Centre Of Assassination Attempt Allegation

The lawsuit points to a dramatic incident on December 29, 2015, when Mayo says contractors linked to Spear planted explosives inside his office building in Aden, southern Yemen. According to his account, he escaped just minutes before the blast destroyed the building.

Mayo says the attack forced him into exile, eventually pushing him to leave Yemen and seek refuge in Saudi Arabia.

"Spear tried to assassinate me ten years ago. I survived but have been forced to live in exile separated from my family," Mayo said in a statement.

The contractors have also openly discussed the mission in media interviews, where they identified Mayo as the intended target. At the time, Mayo was a local leader associated with Al-Islah, an Islamist political group. While the UAE considers Al-Islah a terrorist organisation, many analysts and experts have argued that it functions as a legitimate political party that has publicly criticised the UAE's agenda in Yemen.

US Law Opens Door For Foreign Plaintiff To Sue In American Court

Although Mayo is not a US citizen or resident, the case has been brought under the Alien Tort Statute, a US law that allows foreign nationals to file civil claims in American courts when violations of international law are alleged.

Legal advocates say the case could test how far accountability extends for former US military personnel who use their training in foreign conflict zones.

Daniel McLaughlin, legal director at the Center for Justice & Accountability, said the lawsuit raises serious concerns about oversight and legal responsibility.

"Our government has a duty to regulate how former members of our military use their training and know-how, and a responsibility to hold them accountable when they break the law," he said in a statement.

The case unfolds against the backdrop of Yemen's devastating civil war, which escalated in 2015 after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of northern Yemen. That same year, the UAE joined a regional military coalition backed by the United States to intervene in the conflict.