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The Washington has levied restrictions on a network of several persons and entities charged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of severe violations including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light in 2024, after an inquiry which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that led to an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience gleaned from decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source remarked that training children was "awful and crazy" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier based in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated alleged to have wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of financial and military support to the belligerents," the department stated.

Reaction

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the sanctions as a "major" development, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, Bogotá recently passed a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and transform domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, called for greater wariness, noting that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The UAE has been frequently alleged of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.