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The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, prompted by an investigation which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

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

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, Colombia ratified a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.