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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction linked to horrific war crimes including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an investigation which revealed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.