United States Enforces Sanctions on Operation Alleged of Funneling Colombian Mercenaries to the Sudanese Conflict.

The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies charged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, following an investigation which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the UAE. The government said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

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

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "very significant" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.