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The Washington has levied restrictions on a network of four people and four firms accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

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

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in severe violations such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, after an report which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience acquired during years of internal conflict, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary remarked that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship 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 linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "highly important" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

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