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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, prompted by an report which found that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá ratified a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.