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The US government has enforced penalties on a group of four individuals and four companies charged of hiring South American contractors to fight for and train a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was largely composed of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Scores of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to the conflict in Sudan to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction accused of terrible atrocities including ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The participation of ex-soldiers first came to light in 2024, after an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to fight – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

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 years of internal conflict, training on advanced weaponry, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. One source remarked that instructing minors was "horrific and irrational" but added that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Named Entities

Among those penalized was a dual national, a dual Colombian-Italian national and ex-soldier operating from the Dubai. The government accused him a central role in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His spouse, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who the Treasury stated managed a business implicated in handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, worth millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the final person to be sanctioned, with the firm she operated accused of wire transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for outside forces to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the department said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, called the measures as a "major" development, saying that "identifying the recruiters is the proper strategy".

It was also noted that, the Colombian government has enacted a law ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb years of participation by its nationals in international fights and change its security approach.

Sean McFate, an expert on mercenaries, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and centered in the UAE, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he commented. The UAE has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, claims it rejects. "More contractors from Colombia are likely," McFate warned.