On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a fresh series of sanctions targeting the military elite of Cuba. These measures, coordinated between the State Department and the Treasury Department, are part of the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign against the Havana regime.
The sanctions list includes 12 current and former officials of the regime, seven military and security entities, and three vessels, all designated under Executive Order 14404 signed by President Trump on May 1, 2026.
Rubio emphasized that these sanctions are "a part of the Trump administration's comprehensive effort to tackle the urgent national security threats posed by the Cuban communist regime and to hold accountable the regime and those providing it with material or financial support."
Prominent figures among those sanctioned include Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera, First Deputy Minister of MINFAR and Chief of the General Staff of the FAR; Army Corps General Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, Director of GAESA; and General Leopoldo Cintra Frías, former Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.
Also named were Army Corps General Joaquín Quinta González, Deputy Minister of MININT and head of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, and Colonel Leonardo Ramón Andollo Peña, Chief of Intelligence at MININT.
Among the sanctioned entities are GAESA and the Gaviota Group, which manages over 70 hotels and marinas, alongside MAR Azul S.A. and Unión Cuba Nickel S.A.
Rubio described GAESA as "the heart of Cuba's kleptocratic communist system," a conglomerate controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces that generates revenues exceeding $1 billion annually.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that "the Cuban military regime has long used its economic empire to sustain repression at home and meddle abroad, including supporting Nicolás Maduro's narco-regime in Venezuela."
The three vessels sanctioned—Bahía del Sur, Partido, and América—are employed by MAR Azul for illegal transfers of Venezuelan oil. The State Department reported that vessels linked to MINFAR have enabled over 200 illicit crude shipments to Venezuela since 2022.
The sanctions have also impacted Moa Nickel S.A., a joint venture with Canada's Sherritt International, which ceased all operations in Cuba this Thursday, depriving the regime of 10% to 15% of its electricity generation capacity.
The announcement came just days after Rubio was photographed in front of a map of Cuba at the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) headquarters in Doral, Florida, during the 2026 Chiefs of Mission Conference. He noted that Cuba "is in Southern Command, it's the closest to the U.S."
The State Department has begun deploying personnel to Southern Command in anticipation of potential hostilities, although Washington has neither confirmed nor ruled out other actions.
Since January 2026, the Trump administration has implemented over 240 sanctions against the Cuban regime and intercepted at least seven tankers, reducing the island's energy imports by 80% to 90%.
The State Department's official statement warned of "further sanctions in the coming days and weeks," making it clear that the campaign is far from over.
Key Questions on U.S. Sanctions Against Cuba
What is the purpose of the new U.S. sanctions against Cuba?
The new U.S. sanctions aim to address national security threats posed by the Cuban communist regime and to hold accountable those providing it with support.
Who are some of the individuals targeted by these sanctions?
The sanctions have targeted figures like Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera, Army Corps General Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, and General Leopoldo Cintra Frías, among others.
How have the sanctions affected Cuba's economic activities?
The sanctions have led to the suspension of operations by Moa Nickel S.A., affecting Cuba's electricity generation capacity by 10% to 15%.