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The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, following an investigation which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "highly important" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government has enacted a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.