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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms charged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of financial transactions linked to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "major" step, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia has enacted a law approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.