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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, after an report which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.