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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of four people and four firms accused of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Revealing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force implicated in horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered last year, after an investigation which revealed that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to participate in the war – an discovery that led to an unusual statement of regret from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching child soldiers, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that working with child soldiers was "awful and crazy" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the Dubai. The Treasury alleged he played a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the government release noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "highly important" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

Furthermore, Bogotá has enacted a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, urged more caution, saying that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The UAE has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.