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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms accused of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of severe violations such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light the previous year, after an report which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to fight – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier operating from the Dubai. The government accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the agency stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.