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2mo ago

US Bars Visas for Relatives and Associates of Sanctioned Fentanyl Traffickers

The measure leverages a visa ban under the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend drug-trafficking sanctions to relatives of cartel members, encompassing close associates, with the goal of choking off fentanyl shipments.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio points during a meeting of President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the start of a NATO leaders summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. LUDOVIC MARIN/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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Overview

  • On June 26, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions under section 212(a)(3)(C) targeting family members and close personal and business associates of individuals sanctioned under Executive Order 14059.
  • The policy expands existing visa ineligibilities under section 212(a)(2)(C) and aims to reinforce deterrence against cartel networks responsible for smuggling fentanyl and other illicit drugs.
  • The State Department highlighted that fentanyl overdoses averaged more than 220 deaths per day in 2024 and remain the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 44.
  • The action builds on Trump administration efforts that have deployed troops to the southern border, designated major cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and imposed sanctions on cartel leaders.
  • Law enforcement has continued high-profile operations such as the May seizure led by Attorney General Pam Bondi that confiscated over 409 kilograms of fentanyl pills and resulted in multiple arrests.