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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, after an inquiry which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to fight – an revelation that led to an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The government accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "very significant" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in international fights and change national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.