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The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

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

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction linked to severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, following an inquiry which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say oversaw a company accused of managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Reaction

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "very significant" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.