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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, after an report which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "major" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.