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The Miami-Dade County tax collector, Dariel Fernández, announced the sending of 3,909 compliance notices to businesses that may be engaging in commercial activities related to Cuba without the proper federal authorization.
In a message posted on X, Fernández reported that his office issued the notices as part of a county-level administrative review concerning operations that may involve the "socialist and communist dictatorship of Cuba."
According to the explanation, the notifications aim to verify whether the flagged businesses are involved in transactions, services, or commercial operations that include the Island and, if so, to require the identification of the federal authority that legally supports such activities.
"As your Tax Collector for Miami-Dade County, I will always ensure that every business in our county complies with the law. We enforce the law, verify the facts, and take action when compliance cannot be confirmed," wrote Fernández.
He added that the responsibility of his office is to protect the integrity of the Local Business Tax system and to defend the community from any activities associated with a regime that represses, censors, and violates human rights.
What do the notifications require?
The letters sent to the 3,909 companies require the recipients to formally confirm whether they engage in business activities involving Cuba.
In cases where such operations are supported by general or specific federal authorizations, they must provide documentary evidence, including copies of licenses or certifications issued by agencies such as the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), or the United States Department of Commerce.
Fernández emphasized that this process is carried out in compliance with the Florida Statutes and the Miami-Dade County Code, which stipulate that the Tax Collector must ensure that Local Business Tax Receipts are issued and maintained only for businesses that operate in full accordance with the law.
"This is a compliance process," the official stated.
"Our duty is to maintain accurate public records and ensure that businesses operating in Miami-Dade County comply with all legal requirements. When questions arise, we request documentation, verify the facts, and take action in accordance with the law," he added.
He also emphasized that his office respects valid federal authorizations and that companies demonstrating compliance will continue to be eligible to operate.
However, those entities that do not respond or are unable to demonstrate their eligibility may face administrative actions related to their Local Business Tax Receipt, as established by state regulations and county ordinances.
The entity also reported that it continues to coordinate with federal authorities responsible for sanctions, export controls, and aviation security, with the aim of ensuring that local actions are aligned with federal regulations and respect legal licensing exceptions.
All responses and documents submitted by the companies will be published on the Compliance Transparency Page of the collector's office.
A process that has been ongoing for months
The administrative offensive does not arise in isolation.
At the end of January, Fernández publicly denounced alleged abuses in the use of business licenses related to operations with the Cuban regime and announced that he would notify then-President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio about what he described as national security risks for the community in South Florida.
On January 13, their office received two letters from the U.S. Department of Commerce confirming the revocation of federal licenses used for exports to Cuba. The letters, issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), reported irregularities in licenses D1325305 and D1331933, both officially canceled for noncompliance with their conditions.
According to the disclosed documents, the companies involved were Katapulk Marketplace LLC, owned by entrepreneur Hugo Cancio, and Maravana Cargo Inc., run 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 permit was revoked on June 4 after violations of the established conditions were detected.
On its part, Maravana Cargo Inc., dedicated to shipping goods and vehicles to the Island, had its license D1331933 revoked on November 3, after the company exceeded the allowed number of cars and motorcycles.
Fernández, who took office in 2025, stated that his office had been working for months to identify potential irregularities in the use of federal licenses related to Cuba, as part of an effort to strengthen regulatory compliance and institutional transparency.
He indicated that he would send a formal report to the White House and the State Department detailing the findings and their potential implications.
In parallel, the county commissioner, Natalie Milian Orbis, sent a letter to President Trump requesting the
A few days prior, the Miami City Commission unanimously approved the creation of a specialized task force to investigate and oversee business licenses of companies with possible connections to the Cuban government in financial, administrative, or operational aspects.
By the end of 2025, Fernández had requested federal authorities to investigate a local company that, as he stated at the time, could be involved in agreements that would involve or benefit the government of Cuba.
With the dispatch of the 3,909 new notices, the collector's office significantly expands the scope of this review, marking one of the most extensive administrative actions undertaken at the county level regarding business activities related to Cuba.
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