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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms accused of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Sudanese RSF militia, a force linked to severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, after an investigation which disclosed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to fight – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, familiarity with Western military gear, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The US authorities accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in several money transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers connected to Duque and his companies.

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

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, called the actions as a "major" development, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Bogotá recently passed a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.