Washington, DC, July 23 (ANI): The United States on Thursday introduced a new global visa restriction policy targeting individuals responsible for cyber scams and sextortion, citing an “unprecedented threat” to American citizens.
Announcing the measures implemented under the Immigration and Nationality Act, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sanctions would extend beyond primary offenders to include their immediate family members.
“This policy targets individuals responsible for, or complicit in, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime,” Rubio said in a statement.
He highlighted that online investment fraud, frequently orchestrated by “Chinese transnational criminal organisations,” drained at least USD 10 billion from U.S. citizens in 2024 alone, while also “fueling corruption, money laundering, and human trafficking.”
Specific concerns were also raised regarding “sextortion scams” conducted from overseas that systematically target American children.
Outlining the enforcement strategy, Rubio said Washington was using all available executive tools to disrupt foreign criminal networks and hold facilitators accountable.
“The Trump Administration is deploying every tool at our disposal–sanctions, prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests, and international law enforcement cooperation–to dismantle criminal scam networks and impose costs on those who enable them,” Rubio said.
The cybercrime announcement comes as part of a broader effort by Washington to address foreign security threats. It follows a separate visa restriction policy introduced by the U.S. State Department one week earlier that focused on members of “far-left terrorist and other aligned groups.”
In that July 16 statement, the department said such organisations use coordinated violence, including bombings, assassinations, and intimidation, to advance political objectives and undermine democratic institutions.
Implemented in support of National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, the earlier measure targets foreign nationals accused of supporting or inciting acts of terrorism, as well as those involved in violent criminal activities, financing, or recruitment.
The sanctions also apply to individuals providing logistical support, facilitating cooperation among violent extremist networks, or participating in economic sabotage, reinforcing the administration’s strategy to prevent foreign actors involved in violent, criminal, or terrorist operations from entering the United States. (ANI)
About The Author
