US visa restrictions target KS International Traders linked to illicit fentanyl trafficking

The United States imposed visa restrictions on 13 people linked to KS International Traders. The firm is an India-based online pharmacy under US sanctions. US officials alleged the network sold fake prescriptions containing illicit fentanyl. The move targets the owner and business associates accused of trafficking drugs to Americans.

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US Department of State spokesman Tommy Pigott said the restrictions covered people tied to KS International Traders. Pigott said the group sold "counterfeit prescriptions laced with illicit fentanyl to unsuspecting Americans in our country\". The State Department said the online pharmacy earned money through illicit fentanyl trafficking.

KS International Traders visa restrictions and legal basis

Pigott said the action was taken under Section 212a3C of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Pigott also linked the case to an earlier Trump administration order. Pigott said President Donald Trump designated illicit fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction. Pigott described the restrictions as aimed at blocking entry.

The statement also addressed wider cooperation on drug trafficking. Pigott said, \"This action underscores the United States and Indias enduring and shared commitment to dismantling illicit drug entities and disrupting trafficking networks that harm Americans.\" Pigott added, \"Those complicit in poisoning Americans will be denied entry to the United States,\".

KS International Traders sanctions linked to fentanyl-laced pills

The visa steps follow earlier US sanctions announced in September last year. The US sanctioned two Indian nationals and an online pharmacy. Officials said the supply involved counterfeit pills that worsened America’s opioid crisis. The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, known as OFAC, issued those designations.

OFAC’s September 24 action designated Sadiq Abbas Habib Sayyed and Khizar Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh. OFAC also designated KS International Traders, also known as KS Pharmacy. The listing described it as an online pharmacy run by Shaikh. The two men were described as India-based in the OFAC notice.

US officials alleged both men worked with traffickers in the US and the Dominican Republic. The network allegedly marketed counterfeit pills as real pharmaceutical products. OFAC said the pills actually contained fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. The notice also said the pills contained methamphetamine.

KS International Traders context amid OFAC action on fentanyl precursors

Last month, OFAC sanctioned Satishkumar Hareshbhai Sutaria in a separate case. OFAC described Sutaria as an India-based supplier of pharmaceutical chemicals. The sanctions alleged Sutaria traded fentanyl precursors. Officials said the materials were intended for producing illicit fentanyl.

OFAC said Sutaria worked with salesperson Yuktakumari Ashishkumar Modi. The agency alleged the pair arranged sales and shipments of precursors. OFAC said the destinations included Mexico and Guatemala. The notice said Sutaria and Modi used SR Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals and Agrat Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals.

Indian authorities arrested Sutaria and Modi in March 2025, OFAC said. The US measures on KS International Traders and related cases indicate continued focus on fentanyl supply chains. US officials linked the actions to blocking drug networks and restricting travel. The State Department said visa limits would apply to those tied to the alleged trafficking.

With inputs from PTI