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The US government has enforced penalties on a network of four people and four firms alleged of enlisting South American contractors to support and educate a armed faction in Sudan which the US alleges of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the network was primarily made up of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to Sudan to operate with the Sudanese RSF militia, a force accused of severe violations encompassing targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Revelation of Role

The participation of ex-soldiers initially emerged the previous year, after an investigation which found that over three hundred former soldiers had been hired to fight – an discovery that resulted in an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their vast combat experience resulting from years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching underage fighters, provided drone warfare training, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved remarked that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but commented that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and ex-soldier based in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury accused him a key part in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say ran a firm implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement noted.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the entity she oversaw alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to stop giving monetary and weaponry aid to the combatants," the Treasury said in a statement.

Reaction

A senior analyst, with the International Crisis Group, called the sanctions as a "very significant" milestone, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government recently passed a statute ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape its security approach.

Another expert, an expert on mercenaries, urged more caution, stating that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating rampant mercenarism".

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from Dubai, which is relatively sanction-proof," he commented. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.