The State Department on Monday announced that it had begun the process of restricting the visas for a group of people who maintained either familial, personal, or business relationships with people linked to a major drug cartel.

The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the major narco-trafficking organizations based in Mexico. The cartel has devolved into factional conflict between Los Chapitos and the Los Mayos factions, resulting in more than 1,000 deaths.

“Today’s actions underscore the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting the American people from the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO),” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “The Sinaloa Cartel smuggles illicit fentanyl, which the President designated as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, and other deadly drugs that harm American communities.”

“Imposing visa restrictions on drug traffickers, their family members, and close personal and business associates will not only prevent their entry into our nation, but also serve as a deterrent to continued illicit activities,” he added.

The major factions of the Sinaloa Cartel continue to operate, albeit with some territorial division. Other major cartels have faced leadership change in recent months. Juan Carlos Valencia González, a U.S. citizen, recently took control of the Jalisco cartel after the U.S. took out their previous leader, El Mencho, earlier this year.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.