United States Enforces Restrictions on Operation Alleged of Funneling South American Fighters to the Sudanese Conflict.

The United States has enforced penalties on a operation of four people and four firms charged of hiring Colombian mercenaries to support and educate a militia force in Sudan the United States claims of committing genocide.

Operation Structure

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the Treasury stated the operation was mostly comprised of Colombian citizens and firms.

Scores of retired Colombian troops have reportedly travelled to the conflict in Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction linked to terrible atrocities including massacres based on ethnicity and widespread kidnappings.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light in 2024, after an inquiry which found that more than 300 former soldiers had been contracted to engage in combat – an event that resulted in an unusual statement of regret from officials in Bogotá.

These South American veterans have widely regarded as highly prized fighters in conflict zones due to their vast combat experience resulting from decades of civil war, training on advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the Colombians have been accused of teaching child soldiers, taught fighters to pilot drones, and participated in direct battles. A mercenary remarked that working with child soldiers was "terrible and insane" but noted that "regrettably, war operates that way".

Named Entities

Among those sanctioned was Álvaro Andrés Quijano Becerra, a citizen of both Colombia and Italy and former army officer operating from the United Arab Emirates. The government said he had a pivotal function in hiring and sending ex-military personnel to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Andrés Duque Botero, a dual national who authorities say managed a business linked to managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "In 2024 and 2025, US-based firms linked to Duque conducted numerous wire transfers, worth millions," the Treasury statement noted.

Colombian national Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the entity she oversaw accused of money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The United States again calls on external actors to halt the flow of monetary and weaponry aid to the belligerents," the department announced.

Analyst Commentary

An expert, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "major" step, noting that "identifying the recruiters is the right way to go".

She added that, Colombia recently passed a statute endorsing the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and reshape domestic defense strategy.

Another expert, a scholar on the subject, advised additional measures, stating that "penalties are required yet incomplete for addressing the growing mercenary trade".

"It’s an illicit economy and based out of the UAE, which is difficult to penalize," he stated. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly implicated of providing arms to the militia, allegations it disputes. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.