US Imposes Penalties on Network Alleged of Channeling South American Fighters to Sudan.

The US government has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of hiring South American contractors to combat alongside and instruct a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of acts of genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on this week, the Treasury stated the scheme was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF paramilitary group, a group linked to severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, following an investigation which revealed that hundreds of retired troops had been hired to fight – an event that led to an rare mea culpa from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge acquired during a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and high-level combat training.

Reported Actions

In the Sudanese theater, the Colombians have been accused of teaching underage fighters, taught fighters to pilot drones, and engaged in frontline combat. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier located in the United Arab Emirates. The Treasury alleged he played a central role in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged oversaw a company accused of handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms associated with Duque engaged in numerous wire transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges foreign parties to cease providing funding and arms to the combatants," the department stated.

Expert Analysis

An expert, with the International Crisis Group, described the actions as a "highly important" milestone, noting that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government ratified a law endorsing the anti-mercenary convention, designed to limit years of participation by its nationals in foreign conflicts and change domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating rampant mercenarism".

"This is a shadow economy and operating from the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been widely accused of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.