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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, after an inquiry which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of financial transactions linked 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 Treasury announced.

Reaction

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "highly important" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.