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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, after an report which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an event that led to an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The government accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the department announced.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.