President Donald Trump’s administration is cracking down on 75 individuals it says have links to the Sinaloa Cartel with visa restrictions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday announced the restrictions on the individuals “who are family members or close personal or business associates of persons linked” to the cartel.
The move comes after the Trump administration last week also restricted 26 visa holders who were working “to undermine our national interests.” Over 100,000 visas have been revoked since President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
According to the State Department, the visa restrictions are coming under Executive Order 14059, “Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade,” which was signed by former President Joe Biden in 2021.
“The Sinaloa Cartel smuggles illicit fentanyl, which the President designated as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, and other deadly drugs that harm American communities,” Rubio said. “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.”
.@StateDept is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on 75 individuals who are close associates of persons linked to the Sinaloa Cartel sanctioned under E.O. 14059. This action demonstrates our resolve to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl, a WMD, and other deadly drugs into…
— US Dept of State INL (@StateINL) April 20, 2026
President Trump designated the Sinaloa Cartel a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025, along with other transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13.
The State Department said at the time that the Sinaloa Cartel “is one of the world’s most powerful drug cartels and is one of the largest producers and traffickers of fentanyl and other illicit drugs to the United States. Cártel de Sinaloa has used violence to murder, kidnap, and intimidate civilians, government officials, and journalists.”
