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The United States has levied restrictions on a network of four people and four firms charged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group accused of severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered in 2024, after an inquiry which disclosed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. One source remarked that training children was "horrific and irrational" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say ran a firm accused of handling funds and payroll for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions connected to Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury stated.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "major" step, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government ratified a statute ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change its security approach.

A mercenary specialist, a authority on private military contractors, called for greater wariness, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.