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The United States has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group accused of horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, following an report which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an discovery that prompted an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during years of internal conflict, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and engaged in frontline combat. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States connected to Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia ratified a statute endorsing the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and transform domestic defense strategy.

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

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.