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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, prompted by an report which found that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The government said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, 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 linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "major" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.