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The United States imposed visa restrictions on Cuban government-affiliated journalist Pedro Jorge Velázquez, known on social media as "El Necio", due to his alleged involvement in harassment campaigns against American diplomats in Cuba.
According to sources from the U.S. government confirmed to Martí Noticias, Velázquez is among the first Cuban citizens affected by the measures announced by the State Department against individuals linked to harassment and intimidation of diplomatic personnel.
The report highlights actions directed against the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States Embassy in Havana, Mike Hammer, including the dissemination of content deemed sensitive, such as images showing license plates and diplomatic vehicles.
According to journalist Mario J. Pentón of Martí Noticias, the measure was announced just hours after Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau publicly warned that Washington is aware of the identities of those who have participated in the harassment against the head of the diplomatic mission.
"I want these individuals to understand that we know who they are and that we will respond accordingly," Landau wrote on the social media platform X, according to the text.
The report states that Landau reported that "small groups of agents from the Cuban regime" have harassed Hammer during trips across provinces and reminded that, according to international law, diplomats must be able to carry out their duties without intimidation.
Hostile acts against Hammer
In the weeks leading up to the visa restrictions imposed on Pedro Jorge Velázquez, the government of the United States had warned of a tightening of measures in response to the acts of harassment organized by the Cuban regime against its diplomatic staff.
On February 11, 2026, Washington announced new sanctions against Cuban citizens identified as participants in hostile gatherings outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana, during which Chargé d'Affaires Mike Hammer was harassed.
According to sources cited by Martí Noticias and confirmed by U.S. officials, the actions include the cancellation of existing visas, permanent inadmissibility to enter U.S. territory, and the revocation of ongoing immigration processes.
The U.S. authorities indicated that they are visually documenting those involved in these acts as part of a verification process and potential future sanctions.
The decision is part of a policy response to diplomatic harassment, in which Washington demands that Havana adhere to international standards for the protection of foreign representatives.
The congressman Mario Díaz-Balart publicly supported the measure, stating that “anyone who threatens U.S. officials will face consequences,” while the Department of State reiterated that its diplomats will continue to meet with the Cuban people “despite the regime's failed intimidation tactics.”
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