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The US government has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms charged of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, following an report which found that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, training on Western military gear, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In the conflict, the mercenaries have reportedly trained underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier based in the UAE. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the company she managed accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to cease providing funding and arms to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.