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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, following an report which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

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 US authorities accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the combatants," the department announced.

Reaction

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

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.