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The Miami-Dade Tax Collector, Dariel Fernández, announced on Thursday the revocation of the Local Business Tax Receipt of Vanguard Energy, a company based in Coral Gables that had signed an agreement to operate with CUPET, the state-owned oil company controlled by the Cuban regime.
The decision was communicated just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new federal sanctions against CUPET under Executive Order 14404 from President Donald Trump, a measure that increases Washington's pressure on the main economic structures of Havana.
According to Fernández, the revocation is a response to reports linking Vanguard Energy to a contract to lease fuel storage facilities from CUPET and to participate in shipments of gasoline and diesel to Cuba.
"The reported transaction involving Vanguard Energy includes the Cuban state oil company CUPET, which is sanctioned by the United States," the official stated in a statement.
"In light of the reported contractual arrangements of the company, the public statement from the Department of State regarding licenses, and the announcement of federal sanctions against CUPET, our office has revoked the Local Business Tax Receipt of Vanguard Energy," he added.
The company had made headlines this week after revealing an agreement with a Cuban import agency to use CUPET infrastructure for fuel supply operations to the island.
According to reports published by Bloomberg, the project envisioned the delivery of more than 250,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel per trip, with an approximate frequency of one operation per month or every 40 days. If realized, it would have represented one of the largest supplies of U.S. fuel to Cuba in over six decades.
However, on Wednesday, the State Department publicly clarified that Vanguard Energy did not have any specific license authorizing the operation and reminded that the current sanctions against entities linked to the Cuban regime remain fully in effect.
Fernández indicated that the decision is based on provisions of Florida state legislation and administrative regulations of the county related to the compliance of legal obligations by companies operating in Miami-Dade.
"Any business operating in Miami-Dade County must comply with federal sanctions, state law, and local requirements," he emphasized.
The official went further by taking a political stance regarding the case.
"The Miami-Dade County will not serve as a base of operations for activities that undermine federal law or support the Cuban dictatorship," he stated.
The measure comes in the context of a hardening of the Trump administration's actions against the main sources of income for the regime.
Last week, Washington expanded the scope of the sanctions against entities linked to the Cuban military and security apparatus, while on Thursday, CUPET became the second major state enterprise sanctioned under the new executive order, following the military conglomerate GAESA.
Dariel Fernández also recalled that the decision is part of a policy upheld by his office since 2025 to review and take action against companies with commercial ties to Cuba that do not comply with established legal requirements.
"We stand on the side of the rule of law, the Cuban people, and the efforts of President Trump and Secretary Rubio to deny the regime the resources it uses to control and repress its own people," he concluded.
The revocation of the local license represents a new setback for Vanguard Energy and sends a message to other companies in South Florida about the legal and political risks of doing business with entities controlled by the Cuban regime.
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