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The United States has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, following an inquiry which found that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to fight – an event that led to an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say oversaw a company linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.