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The US government has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an report which found that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to fight – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer located in the Dubai. The government said he had a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.