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The US government has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms charged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been contracted to participate in the war – an event that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary previously stated that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business accused of processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States connected to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the department stated.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "major" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.