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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of four individuals and four companies alleged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force linked to horrific war crimes encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered last year, following an inquiry which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the agency said in a statement.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a law endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.