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The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in severe violations including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, following an report which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to fight – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States connected to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the measures as a "very significant" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.