US slaps visa curbs on 13 linked to India-based entity over fentanyl trafficking
Washington: The United States has announced visa restrictions on 13 individuals linked to an India-based entity accused of trafficking illicit fentanyl into America.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the US State Department said the action targeted close business associates of KS International Traders and its owner for generating revenue through the trafficking of illicit fentanyl.
Washington said that the India-based online pharmacy had sold “hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills laced with illicit fentanyl” to customers in the United States.
US State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott said the network had “devastated families and communities across the US.” The restrictions were imposed under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act and linked to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14367, which designated fentanyl as a “Weapon of Mass Destruction.”
The State Department said the move underscored the “enduring and shared commitment” of the US and India to dismantling illicit drug entities and disrupting trafficking networks. It warned that individuals found complicit in trafficking activities contributing to the fentanyl crisis would be denied entry into the United States.
The announcement comes amid increased coordination between Indian authorities and US agencies on narcotics trafficking, particularly involving synthetic opioids and precursor chemicals, amid growing international scrutiny of illegal online pharmaceutical operations.
The illicit version fentanyl is usually made in illegal labs and mixed into heroin, cocaine, counterfeit pills, or sold as powder. Because it’s so potent, as little as 2 mg – about the size of a few grains of salt – can be lethal.
