The Trump administration expanded its maximum pressure campaign against Havana on Thursday by sanctioning five Cuban entities and eight individuals linked to the acquisition of foreign weapons for the Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) and the security forces of the regime.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures through an official statement from the Department of State and amplified them in a post on X.
Rubio described the Cuban communist regime as «a state sponsor of terrorism that spies on the United States, arms violent leftist radicals, spreads poisonous Marxist ideology, and serves as a launchpad for Russia, China, and Iran just 90 miles from our shores».
The legal basis for sanctions
The designations were issued under Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, 2026, titled "Imposition of Sanctions Against Those Responsible for Repression in Cuba and Threats to National Security and U.S. Foreign Policy."
That executive order authorizes broad sanctions against individuals who support the regime's security apparatus, are responsible for repression on the island, or pose other threats to U.S. national security.
The actions taken this Thursday are also framed within Executive Order 14380 and National Security Presidential Memorandum 5, which instructs the Executive to promote human rights, the rule of law, free markets, and democracy in Cuba.
Who are the five entities and the eight sanctioned individuals?
The five sanctioned entities are:
- Tecnoimport, a subsidiary of GAESA, is said to have imported military equipment for the MINFAR.
- Duna S.A., identified as being involved in the entry of military material into Cuba from China and Russia.
- Union of Military Industries, responsible for producing, repairing, and modernizing the armaments of the Cuban Armed Forces.
- Yuri Gagarin Military Industrial Company, dedicated to the maintenance of Russian-manufactured helicopters and military aircraft.
-Tecnotex, a subsidiary of GAESA linked to the defense and security sectors, to the repair of Russian helicopters, and to previous cooperative relations with North Korea.
Among the eight appointed officials are the Minister of the Armed Forces, Álvaro López Miera, and the Chief of the General Staff, Roberto Legrá Sotolongo.
Also sanctioned are the following officials responsible for military relations, finances, and arms procurement at MINFAR:
-Roberto Jesús Viciana Mousset.
-Heriberto Sánchez Alleyne.
-José Antonio Remón Rodríguez.
-Óscar Enrique Biosca Gallego.
-Mónica Milián Gómez, military attaché in Russia.
-Waldo Pérez Cortés, military attaché in China.
What Washington Accuses
The statement from the Department of State paints a stark picture of the role the Cuban regime plays in the region and in global security.
According to the official text, "the Cuban communist regime is a state sponsor of terrorism that uses its military and intelligence apparatus to spy on the United States, provide material support to violent radicals and terrorist groups, and spread toxic Marxist ideology within our borders and political system, while serving as a launchpad for other adversaries of the U.S. such as Russia, China, and Iran."
The statement also directly points to the military business conglomerate GAESA (Business Administration Group S.A.) as a pillar of cleptocracy and internal repression:
"The military and intelligence institutions of Cuba are also the main enforcers of domestic repression and nodes of kleptocracy, especially through the conglomerate led by military GAESA."
Warning to banks and foreign companies
Rubio was explicit in warning international financial actors about the consequences of continuing to operate with those designated: "Anyone who supports, sponsors, or provides services to these sanctioned actors runs the risk of being sanctioned."
"Foreign banks and other companies that provide services or hold funds for these entities must cease those activities immediately."
This warning activates the secondary sanctions mechanism enabled by EO 14404, which goes beyond the traditional embargo and can extend to financial institutions in third countries that continue doing business with the blocked entities.
A sustained pressure campaign
The sanctions announced this Thursday are the last link in a chain of measures that the Trump administration has implemented against Cuba throughout 2026. In May, the U.S. directly sanctioned GAESA and its CEO.
In June, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated MINFAR, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and other high-ranking officials.
In July, ten additional entities were added, including the Rapid Response Brigades, the Territorial Troops Militias, and the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution. One day prior to this announcement, the U.S. officialized in the Federal Register the sanctions adopted on June 4.
The State Department emphasized that Washington's determination will not yield
"The Trump administration will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to address the national security threats posed by the Cuban communist regime, and to promote economic and political reforms that offer the Cuban people a better future. As President Trump has stated, his determination is unwavering: the United States will not tolerate a pariah state that hosts military, intelligence, and terrorist operations hostile to just ninety miles from U.S. territory."
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