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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, after an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

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 US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government ratified a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.