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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light last year, following an report which found that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.