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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, prompted by an investigation which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to participate in the war – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the agency announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.