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The Washington has levied restrictions on a network of four people and four firms accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in terrible atrocities such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, following an inquiry which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the department stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "very significant" development, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government recently passed a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.