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The Washington has enforced penalties on a network of several persons and entities accused of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light the previous year, after an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 retired troops had been contracted to fight – 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 vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the Dubai. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending former Colombian soldiers 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 the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque conducted several money transfers, worth millions," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the agency announced.

Reaction

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the measures as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a piece of legislation approving the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.