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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light in 2024, following an investigation which found that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "highly important" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.