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The United States has levied restrictions on a operation of four people and four firms accused of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged the previous year, following an inquiry which revealed that more than 300 retired troops had been recruited to fight – an discovery that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their extensive battlefield experience gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier operating from the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque conducted several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed said to have conducted financial transactions associated with Duque and his operations.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "highly important" milestone, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

Furthermore, Bogotá ratified a statute endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and centered in Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.