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The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms charged of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group accused of horrific war crimes such as targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, prompted by an report which disclosed that over three hundred retired troops had been recruited to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but commented that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged managed a business implicated in managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the government release said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his companies.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving funding and arms to the combatants," the agency stated.

Reaction

A senior analyst, from a conflict think tank, labeled the measures as a "major" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

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

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for dealing with the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.