The US Embassy in New Delhi has revoked and denied visas for certain business executives and corporate leadership based on involvement in trafficking of fentanyl precursors, an official statement said.
The development follows US President Donald Trump’s warning to nations involved in rampant drug trafficking and narcotics production, with India named among 23 countries under American watch.
The move, the Embassy said, was in furtherance to the Trump administration’s efforts to keep Americans safe from dangerous synthetic narcotics.
The Embassy stated that these actions are taken pursuant to section 221(i), section 212(a)(2)(C), and 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The ruling could render these individuals, along with their immediate family members, ineligible for travel to the US.
The Embassy has also cautioned that executives associated with firms accused of fentanyl precursor trafficking will be subject to heightened visa scrutiny.
“The US Embassy in New Delhi remains steadfast in its commitment to combating illicit drug trafficking. Individuals and organizations involved in the illegal production and trafficking of drugs to the United States, along with their families, will face consequences that may include being denied access to the United States,” affirmed Chargé d’affaires Jorgan Andrews.
Stopping the flow of fentanyl, including its precursors, to the United States is one of our top priorities, the Embassy said, expressing gratitude to the Indian government for their close cooperation to combat the shared challenge.
“Only by working together will our two governments address this transnational threat and keep both our people safe from illicit drugs,” it said.
The Trump administration has already taken steps aimed at dealing with the crisis through a series of executive orders that “secure our borders, combat drug trafficking organizations, and demand reform by source countries from which illicit drugs and precursor chemicals flow into the United States”, the statement read.
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