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The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, prompted by an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to fight – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The government said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "major" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.