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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, prompted by an investigation which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The government alleged he played a key part in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" development, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.