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The United States has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, after an investigation which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.