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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered the previous year, following an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The government accused him a key part in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the agency stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.