Rey Anthony, chief of staff for Cuban-American congressman Carlos Giménez, stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has real power to transform U.S. policy toward Cuba and that the Trump administration is rigorously enforcing laws that previous governments ignored.
"We have one of our own, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, holding the third most important position in the most powerful nation in the world, and he is the one who is determining and shaping all of U.S. policy against the dictatorship and in favor of our people, our brothers on the Island," Anthony stated in an interview with CiberCuba.
The advisor, the grandson of four Cuban exiles from Pinar del Río born in Miami, emphasized that the difference with previous administrations does not lie in new laws, but in the willingness to enforce them: "The laws that have always existed are being applied, but previous administrations did not apply them to the letter. This administration is doing so."
In that context, Anthony rejected the notion that the recent arrests of family members of regime officials from Cuba on U.S. territory are merely symbolic gestures.
"These henchmen, these relatives who benefited from the humiliation and repression of our brothers on the island, were not going to come to the United States to live in impunity, to retire, to receive salaries and government benefits at the expense of our exile. That is unacceptable," he stated.
Among the most recent cases is that of Alina Rosales Aguirreurreta, alleged daughter of General Ulises Rosales del Toro, detained today by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in South Florida, and the sister of Ania Guillermina Castro, Brigadier General in charge of the GAESA business conglomerate.
Anthony also confirmed that there are more unreported arrests, suggesting that the known actions are only part of the ongoing operation.
The advisor also emphasized the specific political weight of the three Cuban-American Republican congressmen -Carlos Giménez, María Elvira Salazar, and Mario Díaz-Balart- in a Parliament where the Republican Party holds a majority of just three votes.
"To pass decisive laws and make certain decisions, they need to secure their votes. And if there is one thing they will not negotiate, it is the freedom of Cuba," he noted.
That legislative balance, according to Anthony, makes those three lawmakers key players in any measure that affects the island, and partly explains the current firmness of Washington's stance.
Rubio, who sent a message to the Cuban people offering a new relationship conditioned on democratic reforms and free elections, has described the regime as a "failed state" and has maintained a stance of maximum pressure since taking office in January 2025.
Anthony concluded his speech with a statement about what drives those working on this effort from Washington: "What fuels us, what motivates us, is seeing every night and every day, across Cuba, that people mobilized in the streets demanding their rights."
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