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The United States has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms accused of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the restrictions on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the scheme was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have allegedly journeyed to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a faction linked to terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers was first uncovered in 2024, following an report which revealed that more than 300 retired troops had been hired to fight – an discovery that prompted an unprecedented apology from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Former Colombian military have historically been seen as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their extensive battlefield experience acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with advanced weaponry, and high-level combat training.

Activities in Sudan

In the Sudanese theater, the mercenaries have reportedly trained minors, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. One source was quoted as saying that instructing minors was "awful and crazy" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a dual Colombian-Italian national and retired Colombian military officer based in the UAE. The US authorities accused him a key part in enlisting and transporting mercenaries to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the penalty list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated oversaw a company linked to managing finances and payments for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the government release stated.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw said to have conducted wire transfers connected to Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving funding and arms to the warring parties," the agency announced.

Reaction

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "major" milestone, stating that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a law approving the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the UAE, which is relatively sanction-proof," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.