The United States restricts visas to 75 relatives and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel

In a strategic move to strengthen border security and combat drug trafficking, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this Monday, April 20, 2026, the imposition of visa restrictions on 75 people directly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.

This measure not only affects direct operators, but also extends to family members and close associates of members of this criminal organization, which remains under strict sanctions by the US government due to the transnational trafficking of illicit substances.

FENTANYL AS “WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION”

Through his social networks and official statements, Rubio emphasized that this action is part of the Trump Administration’s frontal strategy to dismantle the groups that the government has classified as “narcoterrorists.”

“The Sinaloa Cartel traffics illicit fentanyl, which the president has designated as a weapon of mass destruction, and other deadly drugs that harm American communities”stressed the Secretary of State.

OBJECTIVES OF VISA RESTRICTION

According to the Department of State, the cancellation and restriction of travel documents has a dual purpose:

1. National security: Physically prevent the entry of people related to organized crime into US territory.
2. Deterrence: Send a clear message to the close circles of the cartel leaders so that they desist from continuing to support illicit activities.

THE STANCE OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN 2026

Marco Rubio assured that President Donald Trump is using “all the power of the United States” to eradicate cartel operations in the hemisphere. According to the official, these measures seek to make the region safer and protect citizens from the dangers of synthetic drugs and terrorism derived from drug trafficking.

“We will continue to protect Americans from dangerous narcoterrorists and deadly drugs”Rubio said.

Key points of the measure:

• Sanctioned: 75 people (relatives and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel).
• Start date: Monday April 20, 2026.
• Main reason: Fight fentanyl trafficking and narcoterrorism.
• Consequence: Immediate ban on entry to the United States and revocation of current visas.

This new financial and administrative blow adds to the list of economic sanctions and arrests that have marked the binational agenda in recent months, maintaining pressure on one of the oldest and most extensive criminal structures in the world.