U.S. sanctions mercenary recruiters

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned three Colombians and two companies on April 18, 2026, for recruiting mercenaries to fight for Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF). (apnews.com) The individuals are Alexander David Camejo, Eliecer Alirio Segura, and Francisco Javier Jaramillo. The firms are Ambianca Security and Asfrecu Ltd. (treasury.gov) These actors allegedly recruited over 300 Colombian ex-soldiers since 2023, flying them to Sudan via Dubai for RSF combat roles at $3,000 monthly pay. (reuters.com) Sudan's civil war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary RSF under Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, or Hemedti. The conflict has killed over 20,000 people and displaced 10 million. (bbc.com) The RSF, evolved from Darfur's Janjaweed militias, controls gold mines and uses foreign fighters like Russians from Wagner (now Africa Corps) and now Colombians to bolster its forces against the SAF. (cfr.org) U.S. officials said the sanctions freeze assets and bar U.S. dealings to cut off RSF's foreign manpower pipelines, which also include Nepalis and Central Africans. "This disrupts the networks fueling Sudan's war," Treasury's Brian Nelson said. (state.gov) Colombia investigated similar RSF recruitment in 2024, confirming 110 fighters sent; Bogotá now cooperates with Washington on extraditions. No direct response yet from the sanctioned parties. (elpais.com) Recruitment channels may adapt via new brokers, as seen after prior Wagner sanctions failed to fully halt Russian flows to RSF. Analysts predict RSF will seek fighters from Latin America and South Asia next. (aljazeera.com)