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The Washington has enforced penalties on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of acts of genocide.

Network Composition

Disclosing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have reportedly travelled to the Sudanese warzone to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a force accused of severe violations including massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged last year, after an report which found that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

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, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The US authorities said he had a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the government release stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be targeted, with the company she managed accused of wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the department said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, with the International Crisis Group, called the measures as a "major" development, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the correct approach".

Furthermore, the Colombian government has enacted a law approving the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform its security approach.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.