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The United States has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, following an inquiry which found that hundreds of former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.