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The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The government said he had a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá has enacted a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.