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The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of severe violations such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, after an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been contracted to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions linked to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department stated.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "very significant" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.