This move marks a significant step towards ending impunity for individuals associated with IUU fishing and fulfilling the promise President Trump made to the American people in his 2025 Executive Order to Restore American Seafood Competitiveness. As announced by the Deputy Secretary on X, among the actions taken against these individuals, the Trump Administration has revoked the visas of former Argentine official Pablo Ferrara for corrupt activities that facilitated IUU fishing and undermined fair market access for American fishermen and Mexican national Jose Ali Amador for the illegal harvest of an endangered fish species, fueling trafficking operations along the US border.

The news release shared, “The United States and every other country that engages in fishing must effectively manage its fisheries, and the actions of these individuals who seek to ignore the rules for short-term, selfish gain at the expense of US consumers and producers must stop. With these visa restrictions, we are sending a clear message: people who seek to enrich themselves through IUU fishing are not welcome in the United States.”