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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an investigation which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the Dubai. The government said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

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

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" step, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.