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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an report which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company accused of managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "major" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.