In a move to combat the rising tide of synthetic narcotics threatening public safety, the United States of America Embassy in New Delhi has revoked and denied visas for several Indian business executives and corporate leaders involved in trafficking fentanyl precursor chemicals. This action is part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to curb the influx of deadly synthetic opioids into the US.
The visa restrictions have been imposed under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which enable the US Government to deny entry to individuals involved in illegal activities, including drug trafficking. In addition to denying visas to the executives, the US Embassy has flagged individuals associated with companies known to traffic fentanyl precursors for heightened scrutiny in future visa applications. This includes close family members, who may also face travel restrictions.
Jorgan Andrews, chargé d’affaires of the US Embassy in New Delhi, said, “Individuals and organisations involved in the illegal production and trafficking of drugs to the United States, along with their families, will face consequences that may include being denied access to the United States.”
Andrews praised the Government of India for its close cooperation, underscoring that only through joint efforts can both nations protect their citizens from the dangers of illicit drugs.
The Trump administration has previously enacted a series of Executive Orders targeting border security, drug trafficking organisations, and calling for reform in source countries that manufacture and export precursor chemicals fuelling the fentanyl crisis.
In a related development, two indictments were unsealed charging India-based companies Raxuter Chemicals and Athos Chemicals Pvt Ltd, along with Bhavesh Lathiya, a founder and senior executive of Raxuter Chemicals, with criminal conspiracies to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals into the US.
Lathiya was arrested in New York City on January 4 and is currently detained pending trial.
Attorney General Merrick B Garland highlighted the Justice Department’s commitment to dismantling every link in the fentanyl trafficking chain, stating, “We allege these companies, and a company founder and senior executive who is now in custody, conspired to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals from India to the United States and Mexico.” Garland reaffirmed the department’s dedication to holding accountable those responsible for the devastating fentanyl epidemic.
Similarly, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N Mayorkas pointed to the overseas origin of much of the fentanyl crisis, remarking, “The Department of Homeland Security, alongside our federal partners, will continue to take the fight against fentanyl directly to alleged foreign precursor chemical exporters like the companies and the individual indicted today.” He emphasized that preventing fentanyl manufacture abroad is key to stopping the deadly flow of the drug into American communities.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York added, “My office will vigorously prosecute those pushers of poison, here and abroad, who are responsible for fuelling our nation’s opioid epidemic without any regard for the extreme harm they are causing.”
Fentanyl is a Schedule II controlled substance and is roughly 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, making it the deadliest drug threat facing the United States. Its precursor chemicals, essential to fentanyl synthesis, are also regulated under controlled substance schedules.
The indictments allege that Raxuter Chemicals, Athos Chemicals, and Lathiya knowingly supplied precursor chemicals-including 1-boc-4-piperidone, a List I chemical used in fentanyl manufacturing-to the United States and Mexico. They reportedly used deceptive methods to evade detection, such as mislabeling packages and falsifying customs documents. For example, in June 2024, Raxuter Chemicals shipped a package mislabeled as Vitamin C, which actually contained the precursor chemical 1-boc-4-piperidone. Later shipments were falsely labeled as antacids.
Further evidence includes video calls in October 2024 where Lathiya discussed selling 20 kilograms of the precursor chemical to an undercover Homeland Security officer, proposing to mislabel shipments to avoid scrutiny. In February 2024, Athos Chemicals allegedly agreed to sell 100 kilograms of the same chemical to a Mexican drug trafficker associated with a cartel.
Mexican drug trafficking organizations, such as the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, have exploited these precursor chemicals to manufacture fentanyl in large clandestine labs, fuelling the epidemic across North America.
If convicted, Lathiya faces a maximum prison sentence of 53 years. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge considering relevant guidelines and statutory factors.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office.
This case marks a significant step in the U.S. government’s ongoing battle against the fentanyl crisis, reinforcing the message that those who facilitate the trafficking of deadly synthetic opioids-no matter where they are in the world-will be pursued vigorously and held accountable.
