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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, after an inquiry which found that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to fight – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The US authorities said he had a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and centered in Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.