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The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms charged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the American treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of severe violations encompassing ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged in 2024, after an inquiry which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to participate in the war – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during years of internal conflict, familiarity with Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" development, noting that "targeting the enablers is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia has enacted a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The Emirati government has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.