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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged in 2024, after an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "major" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," 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.