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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction linked to terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, after an inquiry which found that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "major" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá ratified a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.