U.S. authorities seized 90 shipments of fuel valued at approximately $2.8 million as part of an investigation into a scheme to send petroleum products to a sanctioned Cuban entity and evade existing U.S. restrictions.
The details of the operation will be presented this Wednesday, October 7, during a press conference in Miami, according to an official notice quoted by Diario Las Américas.
The notice confirms an administrative seizure of 90 shipments consisting of medium spirits mixed with biodiesel. Authorities suspect that the products were intended for Cuba through exports that, according to the investigation, aimed to evade U.S. sanctions.
So far, neither the Cuban entity that would receive the fuel nor the individuals or companies responsible for the shipments have been publicly identified.
The conference will feature José R. Figueroa, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami; Daniel Alonso, Field Operations Director of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office for Miami and Tampa; and Jeremy Shein, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the Department of Commerce.
The Cuban journalist Wilfredo Cancio Isla revealed this Tuesday that the volume of seized fuel would exceed 600,000 gallons, and he also estimated its value to be around 2.8 million dollars.
Cancio noted that the operation is part of Washington's scrutiny of fuel shipments to Cuba and that authorities will provide additional details during the appearance in Miami.
The information comes just days after the interception in the Caribbean of the cargo ship Grace, which was en route to Cuba and was boarded by the United States Coast Guard on September 5th.
After the boarding, the vessel was escorted to Mexico, where an inspection confirmed the presence of large quantities of fuel in its tanks and other containers.
The new seizure occurs at a time of significant increase in authorized exports of petroleum products from the United States to Cuba.
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that in July alone, 3.222 million barrels of petroleum products were exported to the island, compared to 778,000 in June, 476,000 in May, and 210,000 in April. Between January and July 2026, the cumulative volume reached approximately 4.896 million barrels.
These authorized commercial operations coexist with the restrictions that prohibit transactions with certain sanctioned Cuban entities, which is why federal agencies maintain controls over exporters, recipients, and the routes used to transport fuel to the island.
The hearing this Wednesday should clarify who was behind the 90 shipments, what their exact destination in Cuba was, and how the mechanism to evade U.S. sanctions operated.
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