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The Washington has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

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

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a group accused of terrible atrocities encompassing targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered the previous year, after an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a statute approving the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.