US Imposes New Sanctions on Cuban Officials, Firms

By Staff, Agencies

The United States imposed sanctions Thursday on five Cuban entities and eight individuals, accusing them of involvement in weapons procurement and military cooperation with foreign governments, including China and Russia.

The measures were announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in May, expanding sanctions against Cuban officials, security forces, and related entities.

Among the targeted organizations are subsidiaries of Cuba’s military conglomerate GAESA and a military aircraft repair company.

The sanctioned individuals include Cuban Defense Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera, Chief of the General Staff Roberto Legra Sotolongo, and Cuba’s military attachés to Russia and China.

Washington accused Havana of using its military and intelligence networks against the United States while alleging that Cuba provides a platform for Russia, China, and Iran.

Meanwhile, the latest sanctions add to a broader US pressure campaign targeting Cuban institutions, including GAESA and the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces [MINFAR].

The Trump administration has also expanded restrictions on Cuban officials, including President Miguel Díaz-Canel, as part of efforts to isolate the island’s leadership.

The measures follow Washington’s declaration of a national emergency earlier this year and new tariffs targeting countries supplying oil to Cuba.

The restrictions have contributed to worsening energy shortages, with repeated power outages affecting households, transport, healthcare, and industry.

At the same time, UN human rights experts warned that escalating US sanctions are deepening hardship for ordinary Cubans, urging the international community to prevent what they described as a potential “silent Gaza” in Cuba.

They stressed that food and essential resources should not be used as tools of political pressure, warning that measures restricting access to basic needs threaten civilians’ rights and dignity.