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The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of four individuals and four companies alleged of hiring former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to terrible atrocities encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to fight – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the Colombians have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say managed a business implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the agency stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "very significant" milestone, stating that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá has enacted a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.