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The US government has enforced penalties on a network of four individuals and four companies charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

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

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in terrible atrocities encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, prompted by an report which disclosed that hundreds of former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" step, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.