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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Revealing the measures on this week, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, after 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 long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the warring parties," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.