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The United States has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to fight – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "Recently, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.