President Donald Trump signed a new executive order this Friday that prohibits entry to the United States for all individuals linked to the Cuban regime and expands economic sanctions against officials, collaborators, and adult family members of those designated under the measure, according to the text published by the White House.
Executive Order 14404, titled "Imposing Sanctions on Those Responsible for Repression in Cuba and Threats to the National Security and Foreign Policy of the United States," is legally supported by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act, and Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which authorizes the president to suspend the entry of foreign nationals when it is deemed that their admission would be detrimental to the interests of the country.
The document 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 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 entry ban applies to both immigrants and non-immigrants, affecting those who operate or have operated in key sectors of the Cuban economy: energy, defense, metals and mining, financial services, and security. It also includes leaders, officials, senior executives, and board members of the Cuban government, as well as those who have committed serious human rights abuses or acts of corruption related to the regime.
One of the broader aspects of the measure is the extension of sanctions to the adult family members of anyone designated under the order, which represents a significant tightening compared to previous measures. Additionally, the executive order prohibits U.S. citizens from making donations to sanctioned individuals and states that prior notification to the designated individuals is not required, as they "could transfer funds or assets instantaneously."
The presidential resolution also authorizes secondary sanctions against foreign financial institutions that engage in or facilitate significant transactions with designated individuals. The Secretary of the Treasury may prohibit them from accessing correspondent accounts in the United States or directly block their assets within U.S. territory. Implementation is delegated to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury.
This new measure is the latest step in a sustained escalation of pressure that the Trump administration has maintained against Cuba since the beginning of its second term. On January 20, 2025, the first day of his return to the White House, Trump reinstated Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. One year and nine days later, he signed Executive Order 14380 declaring a national emergency due to the threat posed by the Cuban regime, citing its alignment with Russia, China, and Iran.
Since then, the administration has implemented new sanctions against Cuba, intercepted at least seven tankers destined for the island, and suspended Western Union transfers. The oil tariffs on third countries that supplied crude to Cuba reduced Cuban energy imports by between 80% and 90%, although the Supreme Court declared them illegal in February and Trump had to eliminate them.
In July 2025, the United States had already directly sanctioned Miguel Díaz-Canel and his family members under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State Appropriations Act, and also sanctioned the ministers of the FAR and the MININT, Álvaro López Miera and Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, respectively.
That same month, Trump updated Presidential Memorandum on National Security No. 5, prohibiting entry to ministers, deputy ministers, and members of the Council of State and the National Assembly of People's Power.
The order of May 1, 2026 consolidates and expands the entire framework, extending the entry ban beyond high officials to include anyone linked to the regime, and for the first time incorporating secondary sanctions against foreign financial entities that do business with designated individuals, thus applying additional pressure on the international partners of the Cuban government.
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