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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of severe violations including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an investigation which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the UAE. The government alleged he played a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual 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 foreign parties to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury announced.

Reaction

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "very significant" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.