Author: Thomas "Tommy" Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson

The Department of State has taken steps to revoke visas and impose visa restrictions on individuals in Nicaragua identified as knowingly facilitating illegal immigration to the United States. This includes owners, executives, and senior officials of transportation companies, travel agencies, and tour operators who provide services to assist aliens intending to illegally immigrate to the […]

Today, the United States sanctioned five individuals and three entities, located in Burma and Thailand, for their involvement in forced labor compounds that carry out fraudulent investment scams online. According to a U.S. government estimate, Americans lost at least $10 billion in 2024 to Southeast Asia-based online scam operations, a 66 percent increase from the […]

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau is in Bolivia from November 6-9 for the inauguration of President-elect Rodrigo Paz. He will meet with President-elect Paz and senior Bolivian officials to discuss the new dawn of our bilateral relations including a generational opportunity to build trade and investment, people-to-people ties, and cooperation in regional security. He […]

The United States sanctioned financial operatives funneling tens of millions of dollars from Iran to Hizballah. These individuals collaborate with businessmen and exchanges to enable significant financial transfers from Iran and conduct covert business dealings that fund Hizballah’s terrorist activities.   This action supports President Trump’s whole of government policy of maximum pressure against Iran and its terrorist proxies like Hizballah, as detailed in National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 issued on February […]

The regional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), activated by Secretary Rubio on October 29 in response to Hurricane Melissa’s catastrophic damage to the Caribbean, has deployed and will be on the ground today.  The DART leads the U.S. Government’s humanitarian response to the disaster at the authorization of President Donald J. Trump and is rapidly […]

The United States is sanctioning La Mayiza, a/k/a “Los Mayos,” a menacing faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.  The cartel’s La Mayiza faction manages the production and trafficking of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine from northwest Mexico into the United States. Today’s sanction actions also target Juan José Ponce Félix, a/k/a “Jesus Alexandro Sanchez Felix” and […]

The United States is acting today to target persons who undermine peace and stability in Sudan. The Department of the Treasury is sanctioning two Sudanese Islamist actors – Gebreil Ibrahim Mohamed Fediel (Gebreil) and the Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade (BBMB) – pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14098, “Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons Destabilizing Sudan and […]