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The US government has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to horrific war crimes including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, after an report which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

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

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" development, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a law endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.