On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a fresh set of sanctions aimed at Cuba, targeting a network involved in the maritime transportation of crude oil. The sanctions also hit officials tied to the military conglomerate GAESA and two Chinese companies supplying equipment to the Cuban military.
As detailed by the State Department, the sanctions impact eight entities and two individuals, while designating five vessels as blocked property: Esperanza, Gloria C, Maria Cristina, Emilia, and Lourdes.
Among those sanctioned is Guillermo Faustino Rodríguez López-Calleja, the brother of the late General Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, a former leader of GAESA. Washington connects him to a network of offshore maritime companies engaged in transporting Cuban oil.
Also on the list is Any Rodríguez Lastres, daughter of Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera — the already sanctioned president of GAESA since May 2026 — and former commercial director of Mariel Container Terminal S.A., also sanctioned.
The maritime entities designated include Caroil Transport Marine Ltd. (Cyprus), Tentacool Commercial Inc. (Panama), and the Cuban firms Internacional Marítima S.A. and Petróleos Marítimos del Caribe S.A. (PETROMARCA).
Caroil had previously faced U.S. sanctions in September 2019 for transporting Venezuelan oil to Cuba and is now re-designated under Executive Order 14404.
On the front of Chinese military support, the State Department sanctioned two Chinese state-owned enterprises: China National Electronic Import and Export Company (CEIEC), already sanctioned in 2020 for supporting digital surveillance in Venezuela, and Beijing H&C Technologies Co., Ltd., both for supplying components for military equipment to the Cuban entity Duna S.A.
The sanctions package also lists two Cuban state enterprises: Cubaelectrónica, which imports electronic supplies and equipment, and the Empresa Comercializadora de Servicios Técnicos y Tecnológicos (Tecnosime), linked to technical and technological services.
Both were added to the sanctions list by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as part of measures targeting economic sectors tied to the Cuban state apparatus.
On Friday, Beijing dismissed the U.S. sanctions, accusing Washington of attempting to undermine economic ties between China and Cuba.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated in a press conference that the relations between both countries are legitimate and transparent, criticizing the unilateral sanctions for lacking a basis in international law and not having United Nations Security Council authorization.
The official reaffirmed China's support for Cuban sovereignty, warning that the Chinese government would take "all necessary measures" to protect the rights and interests of the affected Chinese companies, though he did not specify potential actions.
The Treasury Department also issued a determination expanding the scope of sanctions to foreign individuals and companies operating in Cuba's electronics, manufacturing, maritime shipping, and technology sectors.
Rubio accused the Cuban ruling elite of "hoarding the island's energy, maritime, and technological resources for their own enrichment, leaving the Cuban people to grapple with blackouts, shortages, and a stagnant economy."
"The Marxist regime in Havana relies on a network of state companies, joint ventures, and offshore intermediaries to keep this system running," the Secretary of State declared.
The Trump administration initiated the rounds of sanctions against Cuba in May with the signing of Executive Order 14404 and the subsequent designation of GAESA.
In July, they targeted the Port of Mariel and related entities, followed by the designation in August of Duna S.A. for facilitating military imports from China and Russia.
In October, Rubio publicly invited Cubans to collaborate with the CIA, and President Trump suggested the possibility of bringing military ships closer to the island's coast.
"The Trump administration will not stand idly by while the Cuban regime channels the island's resources to its military elite, while regime affiliates and their families enrich themselves through opaque offshore networks, and while Cuba remains a platform for a global coalition of hostile anti-American actors," Rubio warned on Thursday.
Sanctions and Their Impact on Cuba-China Relations
What are the main targets of the new U.S. sanctions against Cuba?
The latest U.S. sanctions target a network involved in the maritime transportation of crude oil, officials linked to the military conglomerate GAESA, and two Chinese companies supplying equipment to the Cuban military.
Why did China reject the U.S. sanctions?
China rejected the sanctions, accusing the U.S. of trying to undermine economic ties between China and Cuba and arguing that the sanctions lack a basis in international law and UN authorization.
How did the sanctions impact Cuban state enterprises?
The sanctions included Cuban state enterprises like Cubaelectrónica and Tecnosime, which are linked to importing electronic supplies and providing technical services, respectively.