Sen. Marco Rubio announced that the State Department has barred visas for 75 family members and associates of the Sinaloa cartel, extending U.S. measures beyond traffickers to those who profit from cartel activity. The move follows the cartel’s February 2025 designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, which expands tools for tougher penalties and broader enforcement. Authorities cite a recent DEA operation that arrested about 600 suspects and seized hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills and thousands of pounds of illicit drugs. The action builds on existing Treasury sanctions under the 2021 executive order and the Kingpin Act.
Rubio Announces Visa Bans on 75 Relatives and Associates of Sinaloa 'Narco‑Terrorists'
'Narco-terrorist' family members targeted in Rubio's latest visa crackdown
Sen. Marco Rubio announced that the U.S. State Department has imposed visa restrictions on 75 family members and close associates tied to the Sinaloa cartel, broadening enforcement beyond traffickers to include those who profit from cartel activity.
Federal prosecutors charged an alleged top Sinaloa cartel fentanyl producer accused of supplying the Chapitos after his arrest in Mexico.(Fox News)
What Was Announced
Rubio said the action follows the February 2025 designation of the Sinaloa cartel as one of eight Foreign Terrorist Organizations, a classification that expands the U.S. government’s legal tools to pursue tougher penalties and enhanced law enforcement and military options against cartel networks and affiliates.
A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent takes part in an operation in Miramar, Florida, in August 2022.
Administration Rationale
"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 in a written statement. He added that imposing visa restrictions on traffickers, their family members, and close personal and business associates will both bar their entry into the United States and serve as a deterrent to continued illicit activity.
Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., arrives for a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club on June 10, 2025.
Rep. Maria Salazar (R‑Fla.): "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."
Context And Enforcement Actions
The visa restrictions were applied using authority from a 2021 executive order titled "Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade," signed by President Joe Biden. According to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), more than 325 individuals have been sanctioned under that order, including members of the Sinaloa cartel.
Separately, the Treasury has used the Foreign Narcotic Kingpin Designation Act and the 2021 executive order to sanction more than 600 individuals and companies linked to the Sinaloa cartel. Last September, the Trump administration sanctioned a Sinaloa faction known as Los Mayos and targeted 15 companies tied to that group.
Recent Law Enforcement Results
U.S. authorities point to a Drug Enforcement Administration operation last summer that resulted in roughly 600 arrests tied to the cartel. Over the course of a week, federal agents seized 714,707 counterfeit pills, 926 pounds of fentanyl powder, 4,870 pounds of methamphetamine, 16,466 pounds of cocaine and 36.5 pounds of heroin.
What This Means
By expanding visa restrictions to family members and close associates, the administration aims to limit the ability of cartel networks to conceal assets, travel freely, and rely on legal access to the United States. Officials say the combined use of visa restrictions and financial sanctions increases pressure on cartel operations and those who profit from them.
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