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The Washington has levied restrictions on a group of four people and four firms charged of enlisting South American contractors to fight for and train a Sudanese paramilitary group that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the American treasury stated the operation was primarily made up of Colombian citizens and firms.

Hundreds of retired Colombian troops have allegedly journeyed to Sudan to combat beside the RSF paramilitary group, a group implicated in severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Discovery of Participation

The involvement of Colombian fighters was first uncovered in 2024, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that more than 300 former soldiers had been recruited to participate in the war – an event that prompted an rare mea culpa from the Colombian government.

Former Colombian military have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from a long-running domestic war, familiarity with Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the Colombians have reportedly trained minors, instructed militiamen in drone operation, and participated in direct battles. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but commented that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Sanctioned Individuals

Among those penalized was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and retired Colombian military officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government alleged he played a pivotal function in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm linked to handling funds and payroll for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, companies in the United States linked to Duque engaged in several money transfers, amounting to millions," the official announcement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the fourth individual to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers linked to Duque and his businesses.

"The US once more urges outside forces to halt the flow of financial and military support to the combatants," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the actions as a "major" milestone, saying that "targeting the enablers is the correct approach".

She added that, Bogotá ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the anti-mercenary convention, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in international fights and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, saying that "sanctions are necessary but insufficient for combating the growing mercenary trade".

"It operates in the black market and centered in Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of supplying weapons to the paramilitary group, an accusation it has denied. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," he advised.