The United States has announced new sanctions targeting Cuba’s military-linked economic conglomerate and senior officials, as part of what they describe as an effort to restrict access to illicit financial assets and address national security concerns.
In a press statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration is “taking decisive action to protect U.S. national security and deprive Cuba’s communist regime and military of access to illicit assets.”
Rubio said the designations were made under President Trump’s Executive Order 14404 of May 1, 2026, titled “Imposing Sanctions on Those Responsible for Repression in Cuba and for Threats to United States National Security and Foreign Policy.”
Among those designated is Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), described by the U.S. as a military-controlled umbrella enterprise operating in Cuba’s financial services sector. Also sanctioned is Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, identified as a senior executive linked to GAESA, and Moa Nickel S.A., a joint venture operating in Cuba’s metals and mining sector.
The State Department said GAESA plays a central role in Cuba’s economy and is controlled by the military, estimating it is involved in multiple sectors and generates significant revenue that does not benefit the Cuban population. The statement alleges that proceeds are diverted away from public needs and into offshore accounts.
Rubio said GAESA represents “the heart of Cuba’s kleptocratic communist system,” claiming it controls a significant portion of the island’s economy while ordinary Cubans face shortages and infrastructure challenges.
The statement also accused Cuba’s leadership of using state-linked enterprises for broader strategic purposes, including intelligence and military activities, and said further sanctions designations are expected in the coming weeks.
Under the new measures, all property and interests in property of designated individuals and entities within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked and must be reported to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). U.S. persons are prohibited from conducting transactions involving these designated parties unless authorized.
The State Department also warned that foreign individuals or institutions engaging in certain transactions with sanctioned entities may themselves face exposure to U.S. sanctions.
Officials said the broader sanctions framework is intended to restrict financial flows to Cuba’s military-linked sectors while allowing for potential removal from sanctions lists if conditions change, emphasizing that the “ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.”
