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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction linked to horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an report which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to fight – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions linked to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.