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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, following an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to fight – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, 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 linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have money transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.