The United States has imposed sanctions on four individuals
and four entities accused of running a transnational network that recruits
former Colombian soldiers—including children—to fight for Sudan’s Rapid Support
Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group blamed for some of the worst atrocities in
the country’s ongoing civil war.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the network, composed primarily of Colombian nationals and companies, has been fueling a conflict that has produced the world’s worst current humanitarian crisis.
“Treasury is targeting a network that recruits fighters for the Rapid Support Forces,” said John K. Hurley, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
“The RSF has shown again and again that it is willing to target civilians—including infants and young children.”
According to OFAC, hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have travelled to Sudan since September 2024 after being recruited through employment agencies and intermediaries operating in Colombia, Panama, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
The fighters have served as infantry, drone pilots, artillery operators, and instructors, with some allegedly training child soldiers.
Their presence, OFAC added, played a significant role in key RSF offensives, including the October 26, 2025 capture of El Fasher in North Darfur after an 18-month siege.
The RSF is accused of conducting mass killings, ethnically targeted torture, and sexual violence following the takeover.
On January 7, 2025, the US State Department determined that members of the RSF had committed genocide.
At the centre of the network is Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, a Colombian-Italian former military officer based in the UAE.
Quijano allegedly coordinated the recruitment of Colombians through Bogotá-based International Services Agency (A4SI), co-founded with his wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros.
A4SI’s operations were allegedly supported by Panama-based Global Staffing S.A., which signed contracts and received payments to obscure links to the recruiters.
OFAC said Global Staffing’s website is identical to A4SI’s and that Oliveros previously held senior positions in both firms.
A second Bogotá recruitment hub, Maine Global Corp, led by dual Colombian-Spanish national Mateo Andres Duque Botero, reportedly moved funds, processed payroll for fighters, and conducted foreign exchange transfers through affiliated US-based companies.
Maine Global Corp’s alternate manager, Monica Muñoz Ucros, also manages Comercializadora San Bendito, another entity cited in the sanctions.
All assets belonging to the designated individuals and entities that fall under US jurisdiction are now frozen, and US persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
OFAC warned that violations could trigger civil or criminal penalties, including for foreign persons who knowingly facilitate sanctioned activities.
The investigation was conducted in partnership with US Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Centre.
The US reiterated its commitment to restoring peace in Sudan under the September 12, 2025 Joint Statement, urging external actors to halt all financial and military backing to the warring parties.
“The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior,” Treasury said.
