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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities alleged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction accused of horrific war crimes including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, following an investigation which revealed that hundreds of ex-military personnel had been hired to fight – an event that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the Dubai. The US authorities said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who authorities say ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted money transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government recently passed a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit its citizens' long history in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.