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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

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

Scores of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light in 2024, after an inquiry which found that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been contracted to engage in combat – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that training children 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 said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the warring parties," the agency stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, described the measures as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

Furthermore, Colombia recently passed a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.