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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of several persons and entities accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, after an report which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform its security approach.

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

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.