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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms charged of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, following an report which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to fight – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries 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 managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "major" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.