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The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a force linked to horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that more than 300 retired troops had been recruited to fight – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The government said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the department stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.