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The United States has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms alleged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, after an inquiry which disclosed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been contracted to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed underage fighters, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual 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 companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

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

Furthermore, Bogotá has enacted a statute approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," McFate warned.