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The US government has enforced penalties on a network of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a faction accused of horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an investigation which revealed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the Dubai. The government alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the Treasury announced.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.