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The U.S. State Department announced new visa restrictions targeting individuals linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, in an expanded effort to combat international drug trafficking networks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the policy will apply to 75 people identified as family members or close personal or business associates of individuals already sanctioned under Executive Order 14059 for cartel ties.
Rubio said the move aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to “use the full power of the United States” to dismantle what the administration has labeled narco-terrorist organizations.
The restrictions are intended to block entry into the United States and deter continued involvement in illicit activities, according to the department.
“Today’s actions underscore the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting the American people from the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO),” the State Department’s statement read.
“The Sinaloa Cartel smuggles illicit fentanyl, which the President designated as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, and other deadly drugs that harm American communities. Imposing visa restrictions on drug traffickers, their family members, and close personal and business associates will not only prevent their entry into our nation, but also serve as a deterrent to continued illicit activities,” it continued.
Officials described the Sinaloa Cartel as a major producer and distributor of fentanyl and other drugs entering the U.S., and cited its role in violence, including killings, kidnappings and intimidation targeting civilians, officials and journalists.
The visa actions follow a February 2025 decision to designate the cartel and other transnational criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists, authorities said.
Those designations allow U.S. officials to freeze assets and prohibit financial transactions involving U.S. persons.
The measures are part of a broader push by the administration to disrupt drug trafficking operations linked to the U.S. market.
Separately, reports in March referenced a Drug Enforcement Administration inquiry involving Gustavo Petro. According to those reports, DEA records identified Petro as a “priority target” in an investigation into alleged connections with drug traffickers, including possible links to the Sinaloa Cartel. Petro has denied the allegations.
