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The Washington has levied restrictions on a network of four people and four firms accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the 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 implicated in severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, after an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions linked to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.