The U.S. government on Monday announced a new round of sanctions targeting senior Cuban officials and key state security agencies, accusing the island’s communist government of repression, corruption and activities that threaten U.S. national security.
In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures were part of a broader campaign to restrict the Cuban government’s access to financial resources and hold officials accountable for alleged human rights abuses and security threats.
The sanctions, issued under Executive Order 14404 signed May 1, target 11 Cuban officials and three government entities tied to Cuba’s security and intelligence apparatus.
Among the agencies sanctioned are Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior (MININT), the National Revolutionary Police (PNR), and the Directorate of Intelligence of Cuba (DGI). U.S. officials accused the agencies of overseeing internal repression, operating mobile prisons, suppressing protests and conducting intelligence operations.
The sanctions also target several high-ranking Cuban officials, including Minister of Justice Rosabel Gamon Verde, Minister of Communications Mayra Arevich Marin, Deputy Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces Joaquin Quintas Sola, and Juan Esteban Lazo Hernandez, president of Cuba’s National Assembly for People’s Power.
Other sanctioned officials include Roberto Tomas Morales Ojeda, a senior Communist Party leader; Raul Villar Kessell, chief of Cuba’s Central Army; and Eugenio Armando Rabilero Aguilera, chief of the Eastern Army.
According to the U.S. State Department, the sanctions block all property and interests in property belonging to the designated individuals and entities that are located in the United States or controlled by U.S. persons. U.S. citizens and companies are also generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with sanctioned individuals or organizations unless authorized by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The State Department said foreign individuals and financial institutions conducting business with sanctioned parties could also face penalties.
“For more than 60 years, the Cuban regime has prioritized its Communist ideology and personal wealth over the well-being of its own citizens while allowing for the exploitation of Cuba for foreign intelligence, military, and terror operations,” the State Department said in a fact sheet released Monday.
Rubio said additional sanctions actions could follow in the coming weeks.
