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The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, after an report which found that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "major" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.