US revokes visas for Indian executives over fentanyl precursor trade
US administration has revoked and denied visas for several Indian business executives accused of involvement in trafficking chemicals used to make fentanyl
WASHINGTON, DC (MNTV) — The administration of US President Donald Trump has revoked and denied visas for several Indian business executives accused of involvement in trafficking chemicals used to make fentanyl, the US Embassy in New Delhi said Thursday.
The embassy’s statement did not name the individuals or specify their businesses but said the action was part of efforts “to keep Americans safe from dangerous synthetic narcotics.”
It added that US and Indian authorities were cooperating to address “this shared challenge.”
Fentanyl precursors — tranquilizers and other chemicals used in producing the powerful opioid — have fueled an overdose crisis that claimed more than 80,000 lives in the United States last year, according to government data.
Over half of those deaths involved fentanyl; in 2023 alone, the drug killed over 76,000 people.
The visa move comes as relations between Washington and New Delhi face renewed strain. Trump recently imposed 50% tariffs on Indian imports, prompting criticism from India, which noted that US allies in Europe continue to purchase Russian energy.
Still, trade officials from both countries held talks this week, and Trump spoke by phone with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling the exchange “wonderful” and wishing him a happy birthday.
Shortly afterward, the administration sent Congress a list naming India among 23 “major drug transit or major illicit drug-producing countries.”
Despite tensions, the embassy statement framed the visa revocations as part of joint efforts against the drug trade.
“Only by working together will our two governments address this transnational threat and keep both our people safe from illicit drugs,” it said.
The measures also reflect Trump’s intensifying crackdown on narcotics. Earlier this month, he authorized air strikes on two vessels near Venezuela that officials said were smuggling drugs to the US.
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