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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of hiring South American contractors to support and educate a militia force in Sudan which the US alleges of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction implicated in terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, prompted by an investigation which revealed that over three hundred ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have long been considered as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged managed a business accused of handling funds and payroll for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out numerous wire transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be targeted, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on foreign parties to halt the flow of funding and arms to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "major" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in international fights and reshape national security policy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.