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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to fight – an discovery that led to an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "major" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, 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 stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.