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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan 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 retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of horrific war crimes including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, after an report which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to fight – an discovery that prompted an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer based in the Dubai. The government said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged managed a business implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a statute ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.