State Secretary Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on 75 individuals associated with the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel, an effort by the Trump administration to rid narco-terrorist organizations operating within the Western hemisphere.
According to a press release from the State Department’s website, the restrictions will apply to those “who are family members or close personal or business associates of persons linked to the Sinaloa Cartel sanctioned under Executive Order 14059, Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade (E.O. 14059).”
“The Sinaloa Cartel smuggles illicit fentanyl, which the President designated as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, and other deadly drugs that harm American communities,” the media note states.
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar Reacts to the Announcement
“Another strong move from Secretary Rubio to hold cartel criminals and their inner circle accountable,” U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) wrote in a post on X, commending the Secretary’s announcement. “For too long, narco-terrorists have built fortunes off the pain and deaths of innocent Americans while their families lived in luxury off blood money.”
“The era of impunity is OVER. No more hiding behind money, power, or family ties,” she concluded, adding, “If you profit from cartel terror, the consequences are coming. America’s safety comes first.”
State Department's Efforts Against Cartels
In late February, the U.S. State Department designated several international cartels and transnational organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
Organizations such as Tren de Aragua (TdA), Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (CDN), La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), Cártel de Golfo (CDG), and Cárteles Unidos (CU) are additionally within the list.
Designations and Visa restrictions imposed by the State Department help deter such organizations from operating and entering the U.S.
They also deny these organizations “access to the U.S. financial system and the resources they need to carry out attacks.”
