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The US government has imposed sanctions on a group of four people and four firms alleged of recruiting South American contractors to support and educate a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of genocidal acts.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of ex-soldiers from Colombia have been recruited to go to Sudan to operate with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction linked to severe violations encompassing massacres based on ethnicity and large-scale abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The role of these mercenaries was first uncovered the previous year, following an investigation which disclosed that more than 300 ex-military personnel had been recruited to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an unprecedented apology from the Colombian government.

These South American veterans have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, familiarity with Western military gear, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the mercenaries have allegedly instructed minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. One source previously stated that instructing minors was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those sanctioned was a retired Colombian officer, a individual with dual citizenship and retired Colombian military officer located in the UAE. The Treasury said he had a pivotal function in enlisting and transporting ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was similarly targeted.

Also on the sanctions list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a individual with Colombian and Spanish citizenship who officials alleged ran a firm linked to processing money and salaries for the network. "In 2024 and 2025, companies in the United States associated with Duque carried out several money transfers, totalling millions of US dollars," the Treasury statement stated.

Individual Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the other individual to be sanctioned, with the company she managed said to have conducted money transfers linked to Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on outside forces to halt the flow of funding and arms to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, from a conflict think tank, described the measures as a "very significant" milestone, noting that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Bogotá has enacted a statute approving the anti-mercenary convention, aiming to curb decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and transform national security policy.

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

"It’s an illicit economy and operating from the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been frequently alleged of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, allegations it disputes. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.