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The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, after an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to fight – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the department announced.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "very significant" step, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.