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The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms charged of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the RSF paramilitary group, a force implicated in terrible atrocities such as massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, following an inquiry which found that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been recruited to fight – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from decades of civil war, training on Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and change domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," he advised.