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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms accused of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on this week, the US Treasury Department stated the operation was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force implicated in horrific war crimes encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The role of these mercenaries initially emerged last year, following an investigation which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been recruited to fight – an revelation that resulted in an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their extensive battlefield experience resulting from a long-running domestic war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved previously stated that working with child soldiers was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who the Treasury stated ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed accused of financial transactions connected to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury announced.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "very significant" step, stating that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he stated. The Emirati government has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," McFate warned.