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The United States has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms alleged of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Revealing the restrictions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Sudanese RSF militia, a group linked to terrible atrocities such as ethnically targeted slaughter and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The role of these mercenaries first came to light last year, prompted by an report which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to fight – an event that prompted an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Role in the Conflict

In the Sudanese theater, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved remarked that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer based in the Dubai. The US authorities accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of processing money and salaries for the scheme. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States connected to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the Treasury statement stated.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the company she managed alleged to have financial transactions connected to Duque and his companies.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the agency said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, described the measures as a "major" step, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

She added that, the Colombian government has enacted a piece of legislation ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, aiming to curb its citizens' long history in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, called for greater wariness, saying that "penalties are required yet incomplete for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the Emirates, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," the expert cautioned.