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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in severe violations including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, after an report which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged managed a business linked to handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the sanctions as a "very significant" step, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.