US imposes visa curbs on India-linked firm over fentanyl pills

The United States has announced visa restrictions on 13 individuals linked to an India-based online pharmacy accused of trafficking counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid linked to a surge in overdose deaths in the US.

According to the US State Department, the individuals are close associates of KS International Traders, a Mumbai-based company allegedly involved in the distribution of illicit fentanyl-containing medications. The action forms part of Washington’s broader crackdown on networks supplying synthetic opioids into the United States.

Officials said KS International Traders generated revenue through the sale of counterfeit prescription pills that contained fentanyl, a substance President Donald Trump has previously described as a “weapon of mass destruction” due to its lethal potency and widespread abuse in illicit drug markets.

Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid used medically for severe pain relief but is strictly regulated in the US because even small doses can be fatal. Authorities have linked it to a significant rise in drug overdose deaths across the country in recent years.

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US officials stated that the company sold hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills that reached consumers in the United States, contributing to widespread harm in affected communities. A spokesperson for the State Department said that individuals involved in facilitating such activities would be barred from entering the United States.

This is not the first time KS International Traders has come under US scrutiny. The company and two Indian nationals were previously sanctioned over similar allegations involving fentanyl trafficking.

India’s foreign and health ministries have not yet issued an official response to the latest US action.

The US government has intensified measures in recent years to curb the flow of synthetic opioids, including expanded visa restrictions and sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in the global drug supply chain.