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The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms accused of enlisting former Colombian soldiers to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered the previous year, following an inquiry which found that over three hundred retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer located in the UAE. The government accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency stated.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "highly important" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.