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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction linked to terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to participate in the war – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, amounting to millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and transform national security policy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.