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The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms accused of hiring Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, after an report which disclosed that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the UAE. The Treasury said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.