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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, prompted by an report which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to fight – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.