U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Cuban Officials and Entities

1. New Sanctions Announced

· The United States has imposed sanctions on five Cuban entities and five individuals under President Trump's Executive Order 14404.

· The measures target those accused of supporting repression in Cuba and threatening U.S. national security.

2. Basis for the Action

· The sanctions were implemented pursuant to Executive Order 14404 (May 1, 2026).

· The order authorizes broad sanctions against individuals and organizations linked to Cuba's security apparatus and activities deemed harmful to U.S. interests.

3. U.S. Accuses Cuba of Destabilizing Activities

· The U.S. government alleges that the Cuban regime has long supported revolutionary movements and militant groups across the Western Hemisphere.

· According to the statement, Cuba has served as a base for activities viewed by Washington as hostile to U.S. national security.

4. Senior Cuban Officials Targeted

· Sanctioned individuals include:

o Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez

o Alejandro Castro Espín

· Other members of networks allegedly supporting the Cuban government were also designated.

5. Focus on Cuba's Military-Economic Structure

· The sanctions seek to further restrict the financial and economic activities of Cuba's military-linked institutions.

· Washington argues that these entities concentrate economic power among a small group of regime elites.

6. Sanctions on MINFAR

· The U.S. has sanctioned the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (MINFAR).

· Majority-owned subsidiaries and holdings of MINFAR are also considered blocked under U.S. sanctions rules.

7. Existing Restrictions on Military Conglomerates

· The action builds upon previous sanctions against Grupo de Administración Empresarial (GAESA).

· GAESA is widely regarded as a key military-controlled business group in Cuba.

8. Gold Mining Venture Also Targeted

· A Cuban government gold-mining joint venture was sanctioned for allegedly generating revenue for military-linked entities and senior officials.

9. Risk for Businesses Engaging with Sanctioned Entities

· Companies and individuals conducting business with entities owned 50% or more by:

o GAESA,

o MINFAR, or

o Cuba's Interior Ministry,
may face potential U.S. sanctions exposure.

10. Part of Broader U.S. Cuba Policy

· The measures also support:

o Executive Order 14380 – Addressing Threats to the United States by the Government of Cuba

o National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 (NSPM-5)

11. U.S. Policy Objectives

· According to the U.S. government, the sanctions aim to:

o Promote human rights.

o Encourage rule of law.

o Support free-market reforms.

o Foster democratic governance in Cuba.

Key Takeaway

The United States has expanded sanctions on Cuban officials, military-linked entities, and economic networks, citing concerns over repression, national security threats, and the concentration of economic power within Cuba's military establishment. The measures form part of a broader U.S. strategy to increase pressure on the Cuban government while promoting political and economic reforms.

[ABS News Service/05.06.2026]

For nearly seven decades, the Communist Cuban regime has waged a continuous campaign of political, ideological, and institutional warfare against the United States. Tragically, the Cuban people are the hostages of a brutal and repressive government which disregards their safety and prosperity to advance the Castro regime’s true purpose: serving as an outpost for our adversaries and exporting radical left-wing violence and terror across our hemisphere.

Today, pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order (E.O.) 14404 of May 1, 2026, “Imposing Sanctions on Those Responsible for Repression in Cuba and for Threats to United States National Security and Foreign Policy,” I am designating five Cuban entities and five individuals who sustain the regime’s malicious campaign to subvert and destabilize U.S. national security.

These sanctions target the Cuban regime’s wide-ranging and violent radical action network and the actors who implement and fund it. Beginning with Fidel Castro’s program to globalize the so-called Marxist “revolution,” Havana has served as a forward operating base for global irregular warfare against U.S. interests, recruiting, training, and equipping violent left-wing militants across our region – including Marxist terrorist groups in the United States – with the ultimate goal of undermining U.S. national security.

The entities and individuals designated today direct or fund the regime and its efforts to mobilize its radical revolutionary movements in the United States and around the world. These targets include President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez, Castro family member and representative Alejandro Castro Espín, and members of their networks who advance the regime’s threats to U.S. national security.

I am also continuing to crack down on the military cartel that has consolidated all economic power in Cuba for the benefit of a small circle of regime elites and their overseas hidden bank accounts. While I have already designated Grupo de Administración Empresarial (GAESA), the primary holding company for the military’s strangle-hold on the economy, today I am sanctioning the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (MINFAR). As a result, MINFAR’s majority holdings and subsidiaries, many of which are identified on the Department of State’s Cuba Restricted List (CRL), are considered blocked. Anyone dealing with entities owned 50 percent or more by GAESA, MINFAR, or the previously designated Ministry of the Interior risk exposure to potential U.S. sanctions action. I am also designating a Cuban government gold mining joint venture that continues to enrich the Cuban military and elite at the expense of its people.

The Department’s actions are being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14404, which authorizes sweeping sanctions on Cuba, including persons who support the Cuban regime’s security apparatus and those responsible for repression in Cuba and threats to U.S. national security. These actions also further both E.O. 14380, “Addressing Threats to the United States by the Government of Cuba” and National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 (NSPM-5), which direct the Executive Branch to improve human rights, encourage the rule of law, foster free markets and free enterprise, and promote democracy in Cuba.