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The Miami-Dade County tax collector, Dariel Fernández, denounced on Monday abuses related to business licenses linked to operations with the Cuban regime and announced that he will inform President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the national security risks that, he claimed, threaten the South Florida community.
In a post on social media X, Fernández explained that his office received two letters from the United States Department of Commerce on January 13, 2026, confirming the revocation of federal licenses used for exports to Cuba.
"After receiving two letters of revocation from the Department of Commerce, we will notify President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure they are fully aware of the national security risks facing Miami-Dade County."
"This matter involves businesses linked to the Cuban communist and socialist dictatorship," wrote the official.
The letters, sent by the Office of Industry and Security (Bureau of Industry and Security, BIS), confirm irregularities in licenses D1325305 and D1331933, both officially revoked for failure to comply with their conditions.
According to the documents shared by Fernández, the companies involved are Katapulk Marketplace LLC, owned by businessman Hugo Cancio, and Maravana Cargo Inc., led by Alejandro Martínez Pardo, both based in Miami.
In the case of Katapulk Marketplace LLC, license D1325305 authorized the export of hybrid and gasoline vehicles to Cuba under humanitarian use parameters.
The Office of Industry and Security revoked the permit after detecting violations of the established export conditions. The document, dated June 4, 2025, states that the license is immediately null and void.
In the case of Maravana Cargo Inc., dedicated to the shipment of goods and vehicles to the Island, license D1331933 was revoked on November 3, 2025, after the company exceeded the permitted number of cars and motorcycles.
Fernández, who took office as Miami-Dade's tax collector in 2025, stated that his office has been working for months to identify irregular activities related to the use of federal licenses associated with Cuba, as part of an effort for regulatory compliance and institutional transparency.
"These federal actions come months after our office began efforts to protect residents and strengthen law enforcement. We will continue to put people first and defend our community with truth, transparency, and respect for the rule of law," stated Fernández.
The revocations confirm the tightening of control over business operations with the Island, in a context of increasing scrutiny by federal authorities towards U.S. or Cuban-American companies with economic ties to Cuban state entities.
Fernández added that his office will send a formal report to the White House and the State Department to keep the highest federal authorities informed about the findings and the potential implications for national security.
“We will defend our community with truth, transparency, and respect for the law,” he concluded.
In this regard, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis recently published a letter addressed to President Donald Trump requesting the suspension of all federal licenses and authorizations related to Cuba, aiming to prevent the communist regime from benefiting from U.S. funds or services.
Previously, the Miami City Commission unanimously approved the creation of a specialized task force that will investigate and oversee business licenses for companies that may have financial, administrative, or operational links with the Cuban regime.
Similarly, Dariel Fernández had requested federal authorities to investigate a local company that, he claimed, "might be involved in financial agreements" that involve or benefit the government of Cuba.
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