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The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities alleged of enlisting South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Network Composition

Revealing the sanctions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the Sudanese warzone to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a faction implicated in severe violations such as massacres based on ethnicity and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, after an inquiry which found that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to participate in the war – an discovery that resulted in an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Former Colombian military have long been considered as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their considerable warzone knowledge resulting from a long-running domestic war, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the UAE. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in hiring and sending mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who authorities say managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities associated with Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges outside forces to cease providing monetary and weaponry aid to the warring parties," the department said in a statement.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "highly important" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a law ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in overseas wars and reshape national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing widespread use of contractors".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the Emirates, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.