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The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, following an report which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the UAE. The government alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.