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The Washington has enforced penalties on a group of four people and four firms charged of recruiting Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction linked to horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an investigation which found that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans 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 Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities accused him a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "major" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.