The U.S. government announced on Thursday a new round of sanctions against the Cuban regime, targeting the core of the medical missions program abroad. Among those sanctioned are the Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, the official responsible for recruiting doctors for these brigades, and the two main entities in charge of managing the system.
The measures were adopted by the Department of State under Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, 2026, which authorizes sanctions against individuals and entities connected to repression in Cuba and activities deemed a threat to the national security of the United States.
Washington imposes sanctions on José Ángel Portal Miranda
Portal Miranda, Minister of Public Health since July 2018, has been included on the sanctions list due to his position as a senior official of the regime and for overseeing the entities responsible for the medical services export program.
Alongside him, Gretza Sánchez Padrón was appointed as the director of the Central Unit for Medical Cooperation (UCCM), an agency of the Ministry of Public Health responsible for selecting, recruiting, and managing professionals sent to work abroad.
Additionally, the State Department sanctioned UCCM itself and the Cuban Medical Services Marketing Company S.A. (CSMC), a state-owned enterprise that markets Cuban medical services abroad.
Washington described the CSMC as "the main source of foreign currency for Cuba," stating that it generates more income than any other sector of the island's economy. Various estimates place this activity at over 4.9 billion dollars annually.
The U.S. insists that medical missions constitute forced labor
In the official statement, the State Department reiterated that the medical missions program constitutes a systematic policy of forced labor, which it described as a form of human trafficking.
According to Washington, the Cuban regime retains between 50% and 95% of the salaries that recipient countries pay for the services of healthcare professionals, a scheme that affects tens of thousands of doctors and other health workers deployed in more than 50 countries.
The Trump administration has made questioning medical missions one of the central pillars of its policy towards Havana in 2026.
In April, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published a 199-page report in which it concluded that there is substantial evidence of forced labor, human trafficking, and contemporary forms of slavery within that program, in addition to recommending that the states of the continent review or suspend their participation.
The sanctions also extend to the energy sector and GAESA
The offensive announced this Thursday is not limited to the healthcare sector.
In the energy sector, sanctions were imposed on the Centro de Investigaciones del Petróleo S.A. (CEINPET), the research arm of the already sanctioned CUPET; Empresa de Energía S.A. (ENERSA); and EINARBO S.A., which is engaged in the importation of gas and lubricants from Mexico and India.
Additionally, the State Department accused the military conglomerate GAESA of attempting to circumvent U.S. sanctions through corporate reorganizations and the use of intermediary companies.
As an example, he cited the transfer of the management of the Port of Mariel to Coral Marítima S.A., an operation carried out in June 2026 that, according to Washington, aimed to protect the conglomerate's assets from U.S. restrictions.
Also included on the list are CEIBA Investments Limited, a Guernsey-based firm dedicated to real estate investments in Cuba, and ORBIT S.A., a remittance processing company that the State Department considers "almost certainly controlled by GAESA."
The escalation of sanctions continues
These new measures expand the campaign of economic pressure launched by the Trump administration against the Cuban regime.
On July 13, Washington had already sanctioned another ten entities, including GEMAR, the Ministry of Tourism, the Rapid Response Brigades, and the Territorial Troops Militias.
With the designations announced this Thursday, the U.S. administration continues to tighten the noose around sectors deemed strategic for financing the regime.
El Departamento de Estado recordó que las sanciones implican el bloqueo de todos los bienes e intereses de los designados bajo jurisdicción estadounidense y advirtió que empresas o instituciones financieras extranjeras que mantengan relaciones con ellos podrían quedar expuestas a medidas restrictivas.
"The ultimate goal of the sanctions is not to punish, but to encourage a positive change in behavior," concluded the agency in its statement.
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