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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, prompted by an report which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source previously stated that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The government accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "highly important" development, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.