United States Imposes New Visa Restrictions on Relatives and Associates of Drug Traffickers

• United States Imposes New Visa Restrictions on Narcos
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The United States toughened its immigration policy on Thursday by imposing new visa restrictions on relatives and close associates of individuals with confirmed drug trafficking records.

The measure is part of a broader strategy to stop the flow of drugs into the country, particularly fentanyl—a synthetic opioid responsible for an unprecedented public health crisis.

“The imposition of visa restrictions on drug traffickers, their family members, and close personal and business associates will not only block their entry into the United States but also serve as a deterrent to the continuation of illicit activities,” stated Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a press release.

The US government aims to use every legal tool available to combat the criminal networks transporting deadly drugs into its territory.

Visas Restricted Due to Drug Trafficking

This new action is based on a section of immigration law that declares inadmissible any foreign national whose presence poses a risk to national interests.

The State Department emphasized that this is a coordinated effort to dismantle supply chains fueling the trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit drugs.

According to Rubio, the goal is to block access to the country not only for direct drug traffickers but also for those who facilitate or profit from their operations.

“The State Department will use every necessary tool to deter and dismantle the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs entering the US and harming American citizens,” Rubio explained.

US authorities note that fentanyl is one of the main drivers of the public health crisis due to its lethal potency and low production cost.

Since January, when President Donald Trump returned to the White House, combating drug trafficking has become a central pillar of his immigration and trade policies.

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Trump has leveraged the severity of the drug problem to justify stricter border measures and the renegotiation of international agreements.

“The fentanyl crisis in the US is unprecedented, and overdoses remain the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 44,” Rubio said.

He also added that in 2024, there were over “220 daily overdose deaths,” a staggering figure that underscores the scale of the problem.

Authorities stress that severing traffickers’ logistical, financial, and family ties is key to disrupting their operations and reducing the drug flow.

The visa restriction policy adds to other recent initiatives, such as financial sanctions and joint operations with partner countries to dismantle labs and trafficking routes.

Human rights organizations have warned that such measures must be applied transparently and without violating due process to avoid disproportionately impacting families with no real connections to drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, the US government defends this strategy as an urgent and necessary response to the worst overdose crisis in its history.

The debate over how to stop fentanyl continues to intensify in Congress and among the public, with calls to strengthen both border security and efforts in prevention and addiction treatment.

Mexican authorities, for their part, have acknowledged US pressure to curb the production of chemical precursors and trafficking northward.

With measures like these, Washington aims to send a clear message to cartels and their support networks: there will be no safe haven for their business or for those who back them.

What do you think of this measure? Do you believe it will help curb the fentanyl crisis in the United States?

SOURCE: EFE