US imposes visa restrictions on associates of Indian online pharmacy over fentanyl-linked counterfeit drugs

The United States on Tuesday announced visa restrictions against 13 individuals linked to Indian online pharmacy KS International Traders for allegedly distributing counterfeit prescription drugs containing fentanyl.

In a statement, the US State Department said the individuals were close associates of KS International Traders and its owner, which operates from India.

“Sanctioned online pharmacies like KS International Traders, based in India, have sold hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills laced with illicit fentanyl to unsuspecting victims across the United States,” the statement said.

The department said KS International Traders generated revenue through fentanyl trafficking, noting that US President Donald Trump had designated fentanyl a “Weapon of Mass Destruction.”

The statement said the move underscored the United States’ and India’s “enduring and shared commitment to dismantling illicit drug entities.”

“Those complicit in poisoning Americans will be denied entry to the United States,” it added.