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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction accused of terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an report which found that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to fight – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" development, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.