President Donald Trump signed an executive order that blocks all assets and interests in properties located in U.S. territory of foreign individuals linked to the Cuban regime, thereby significantly expanding the scope of sanctions against Havana.
The measure, published from the White House, is based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and extends the legal framework of the Executive Order 14380 signed on January 29, 2026, which declared a national emergency concerning Cuba.
Executive Order 14404 states that the policies of the Cuban regime "continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," and adds that "they are not only designed to harm the United States, but are also repugnant to the moral and political values of free and democratic societies."
The sectors covered by the asset blockade include energy, defense and related materials, metals and mining, financial services, and the security of the Cuban economy.
The order targets leaders, officials, and executives of the Cuban government, those who have provided material or technological support to the regime, those responsible for serious human rights abuses, and those involved in acts of corruption.
One of the broadest provisions extends the sanctions to the adult relatives of the already designated individuals, significantly expanding the scope of the measures.
The designations will not require prior notification to those affected. The order itself justifies this decision by stating that "the ability to transfer funds instantly would render the measures ineffective" if advance notice were given.
The order also suspends entry to the United States, as immigrants or non-immigrants, for all individuals who meet the sanction criteria, unless the Secretary of State determines that their entry is in the national interest.
Additionally, it authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to sanction foreign financial institutions that facilitate significant transactions with blocked individuals, including the prohibition of correspondent accounts in U.S. territory.
A White House official warned that "Cuba provides a permissive environment for hostile operations by foreign intelligence, military, and terrorist groups less than 100 miles (160 kilometers) from U.S. territory."
The new order is part of the maximum pressure strategy by Trump against the Cuban regime, which has imposed multiple sanctions on entities and figures within the power hierarchy since January 2025.
In July, Washington had already directly sanctioned Miguel Díaz-Canel and his family under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State Appropriations Act, and also sanctioned the ministers of the FAR and MININT, Álvaro López Miera and Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, respectively.
That same month, Trump updated National Security Presidential Memorandum No. 5, prohibiting entry to ministers, deputy ministers, and members of the Council of State and the National Assembly of People's Power.
Executive Order 14380, signed in January of this year, imposed tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba, which reduced Cuban energy imports by between 80% and 90%. However, the Supreme Court declared these tariffs illegal in February, forcing Trump to eliminate them. Since January, the U.S. has intercepted at least seven tankers bound for Cuba and banned the island from receiving Russian oil, measures that have worsened the energy crisis.
The economic impact on Cuba has been devastating. The country is experiencing blackouts of up to 25 consecutive hours in more than 55% of its territory and a projected GDP contraction of 7.2% for 2026, according to the Intelligence Unit of The Economist, following a cumulative decline of 23% since 2019.
The regime has responded with accusations of "collective punishment." The Deputy Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío challenged Washington yesterday to lift the sanctions if it believes that the problems in Cuba are the sole responsibility of the government, arguing that Washington "does not dare to prove its claims by testing the alternative."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently warned that economic reforms in Cuba are "impossible with these people in charge" and that Washington will not allow adversaries to operate intelligence bases 90 miles from its territory.
Trump anticipated the direction of these measures on March 30, when he stated that Cuba "will fail in a short time" and that the United States "will be there to help it."
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