US to impose visa curbs on 13 people linked to Indian firm over prescription pills laced with fentanyl

WASHINGTON: The United States said on Tuesday it was placing visa restrictions on 13 people connected to the Indian online pharmacy KS International Traders over the sale of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl.

According to the US State Department, the 13 individuals are close associates of KS International Traders and its owner. The department said the company operates from India.

The State Department said KS International Traders earned revenue through fentanyl trafficking, which President Donald Trump has described as a weapon of mass destruction. The company sold hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing illicit fentanyl to people in the United States, causing harm to families and communities across the country.

"Illicit fentanyl is killing too many Americans. Those complicit in poisoning Americans will be denied entry to the United States," State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott said in a statement.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid used for pain relief, but its use is tightly controlled in the United States because of its strength and its connection to a rise in overdose deaths linked to illegal consumption.

Previous action against company

This is not the first action taken by US authorities against KS International Traders. The online pharmacy, along with two Indian nationals, was sanctioned last year for supplying counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl.

The United States also announced a new visa restriction policy last year aimed at curbing the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the country.

Company website inaccessible

The Mumbai-based company’s website, as listed in US government records, could not be accessed. No names or contact details for its senior executives were available in those records.

India’s foreign ministry and health ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The latest move comes as Washington continues to target networks it says are involved in the production and distribution of illicit fentanyl and counterfeit medicines entering the US market. In this case, the State Department specifically linked the visa restrictions to individuals associated with KS International Traders and its owner.

The announcement did not publicly identify the 13 people facing the visa curbs. The State Department statement focused on their alleged links to the company and its activities involving counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl.