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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered last year, prompted by an investigation which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury announced.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "highly important" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.