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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms alleged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, following an report which found that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience acquired during decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a key part in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "major" development, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and change domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.