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The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

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

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, prompted by an investigation which disclosed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to fight – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The government said he had a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have wire transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.