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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, prompted by an inquiry which found that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "major" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.