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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a group of several persons and entities charged of recruiting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction accused of terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries first came to light the previous year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that over three hundred former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

These South American veterans have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have reportedly trained underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. One source was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the UAE. The government said he had a central role in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say oversaw a company implicated in managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities linked to Duque conducted multiple financial transactions, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of financial transactions connected to Duque and his companies.

"The US once more urges outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "major" milestone, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

She added that, Colombia has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape its security approach.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The Emirati government has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.