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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting Colombian mercenaries to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Group Makeup

Revealing the sanctions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to severe violations such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, prompted by an investigation which revealed that over three hundred retired troops had been hired to fight – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The US authorities said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of funding and arms to the combatants," the agency announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, from a conflict think tank, described the sanctions as a "major" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and transform its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.