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The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of several persons and entities charged of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Operation Structure

Disclosing the restrictions on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the network was primarily made up of Colombian nationals and companies.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a force accused of horrific war crimes including targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, after an report which revealed that more than 300 former soldiers had been hired to engage in combat – an discovery that led to an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Colombian ex-soldiers have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and superior tactical education.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have allegedly instructed child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved previously stated that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and ex-soldier located in the UAE. The US authorities said he had a central role in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms connected to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted wire transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury stated.

Expert Analysis

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "highly important" development, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a law ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and change national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"This is a shadow economy and centered in the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.