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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities charged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, after an inquiry which found that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer operating from the UAE. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "very significant" development, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.