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The United States has imposed sanctions on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, after an investigation which revealed that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an discovery that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions linked to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.