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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, prompted by an report which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department stated.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "highly important" step, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.