U.S. Department of State Pilots “Concierge” Service for Pax Silica Signatories to Accelerate Core AI Infrastructure Exports Today, the U.S. Department of State announced a pilot “concierge” service designed to leverage the State Department’s presence in roughly 270 diplomatic posts to streamline the acquisition of American-made artificial intelligence products for Pax Silica signatories—including power, cooling, software, and hardware. To maintain a competitive edge in the gl

Sanctioning CJNG-Controlled Timeshare Resort for Defrauding U.S. Citizens The United States is sanctioning Kovay Gardens, a Mexican timeshare resort, along with five Mexican individuals and 17 Mexican companies linked to timeshare fraud schemes orchestrated by the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). Last year, the Trump Administration designated CJNG as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). CJNG generates illici

Imposition of Visa Restrictions on Uzbekistanis Facilitating Illegal Immigration to the United States The Department of State has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on individuals in Uzbekistan identified as knowingly facilitating illegal immigration to our nation. This action applies to executives and senior officials at two Uzbekistan-based visa facilitation companies who knowingly provided travel services designed primarily for aliens intending to illegally immigrate

Department of State Launches Edge AI Package for the Indo-Pacific Today, the U.S. Department of State is proud to announce the launch of a competitive process to award up to $200 million in foreign assistance funding to support programs to accelerate the deployment of secure, high-quality, and affordable handheld smartphone devices across the Indo-Pacific region. Through the Edge AI Package, the Department seeks innovative proposals to improve the competitiveness of next-gene

Announcement of Additional Visa Restriction Targets for Individuals Involved in Inhibiting Iranians’ Rights to Freedom of Expression During Iran’s nationwide protests in December and January 2025, the Iranian regime has unleashed violence and repression against tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators. The regime imposed a near-total nationwide internet shutdown, unprecedented in scope and duration, that severely restricted independent documentation of abuses and cut Irani

America First Leadership in Crop Research Under the Trump Administration’s America First Foreign Assistance framework, the United States continues to strengthen U.S. food systems and secure our nation’s economic and agricultural dominance.  A robust and resilient agriculture sector is essential to domestic prosperity, global market stability, and American competitiveness.  Today, the U.S. government announced $40 million to support the International Maize and Wheat Improvemen

Designation of Nicaraguan Prison Official for Involvement in Gross Violations of Human Rights Today, the Department is taking action to promote accountability for the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship’s abuse of political prisoners by designating La Modelo prison Maximum-Security Director Roberto Clemente Guevara Gómez under Section 7031(c) for his involvement in a gross violation of human rights of a political prisoner. The United States calls for the immediate, unconditional rele

United States and Mauritius to Hold Bilateral Discussions From February 23–25, the United States and Mauritius will hold discussions in Port Louis led by the Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, with participation from across the U.S. interagency. These discussions underscore the continued importance of the Chagos archipelago and the joint U.S.-UK base on Diego Garcia to our national security. The discussions will focus on bilateral security cooperation

The Gambia National Day On behalf of the United States, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the citizens of The Gambia as you celebrate 61 years of independence. As you mark this important milestone, we reaffirm the strong and lasting relationship between our nations.  I look forward to deepening our collaboration by strengthening our bonds and advancing shared economic interests. The United States values The Gambia’s unwavering partnership and engagement on international