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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, following an investigation which revealed that over three hundred retired troops had been contracted to participate in the war – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered 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.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but added 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 Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have money transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "highly important" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.