US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced sanctions targeting five Cuban companies and eight individuals, alleging they have facilitated the island’s acquisition of military equipment from Russia and China. The move represents an escalation in the Trump administration’s hardline stance toward Cuba, with Rubio characterizing the Cuban government as a national security threat in a statement released Thursday.
Among the sanctioned entities is Tecnoimport, accused of importing military equipment from Russia and China for Cuba’s armed forces, and the Union de Industria Militar, which manufactures and repairs weapons systems. The list also includes high-ranking Cuban military officials such as Defence Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera. The sanctions will freeze any US-based assets held by these targets and prohibit American companies from conducting business with them, while potentially exposing foreign firms operating in the United States to secondary penalties if they continue dealings with the sanctioned parties.
This action is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to increase economic pressure on Cuba since returning to office in 2025. Earlier this month, the Treasury Department sanctioned additional Cuban entities and individuals, citing their roles in maintaining government control over key sectors. The intensified measures follow Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and reflect ongoing tensions between Washington and Havana rooted in decades of political and ideological conflict.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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