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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, after an report which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a key part in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá ratified a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.