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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, following an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an revelation that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the official announcement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the warring parties," the Treasury announced.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "major" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.