Washington Levies Penalties on Operation Accused of Channeling South American Contractors to Sudan.

The Washington has imposed sanctions on a network of four people and four firms accused of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

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

Scores of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and large-scale abductions.

Revelation of Role

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an report which revealed that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an revelation that prompted an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Role in the Conflict

In Sudan, the mercenaries have been accused of teaching minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those targeted was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer based in the Dubai. The Treasury accused him a key part in recruiting and deploying ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, American entities connected to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the government release said.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of financial transactions associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for external actors to stop giving financial and military support to the combatants," the agency said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, called the actions as a "very significant" development, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

She added that, the Colombian government has enacted a law endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce years of participation by its nationals in overseas wars and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, noting that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "This trend will probably continue," he advised.