The Trump administration has imposed new sanctions on 11 Cuban officials and three government organizations, citing repression, security threats, and support for foreign intelligence and military operations. These sanctions, announced under Executive Order 14404 signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, 2026, target individuals responsible for repression in Cuba and threats to US national security and foreign policy. Among those sanctioned are Cuban regime elites, government officials, and military figures associated with Cuba’s security apparatus, accused of repressing the Cuban people.
The State Department stated that these measures are part of a broader campaign to address national security threats posed by Cuba’s communist regime and to hold accountable those who support it financially or materially. Organizations like Cuba’s Ministry of Interior, Policia Nacional Revolucionaria (PNR), and the Directorate of Intelligence of Cuba (DGI) are among those sanctioned. The PNR was accused of operating mobile prisons and violently suppressing protests.
The sanctions also target several senior Cuban officials and military figures, including Eddy Manuel Sierra Arias, Oscar Alejandro Callejas Valcarce, Rosabel Gamon Verde, and others. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that these designated individuals bear responsibility for the suffering of the Cuban people, the country’s failing economy, and its exploitation for foreign intelligence, military, and terror activities. He hinted at the possibility of additional sanctions in the coming days and weeks.
According to the State Department, all property and interests linked to the sanctioned individuals and entities under US jurisdiction will be blocked, and US persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions involving them without specific authorization from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The department warned that foreign entities dealing with those sanctioned could also face penalties, advising caution in any dealings with parties sanctioned under Executive Order 14404.
This latest move represents a further escalation in the Trump administration’s tough stance on Cuba. Rubio noted that these actions align with Executive Order 14380 and National Security Presidential Memorandum 5, aimed at promoting human rights, the rule of law, free markets, free enterprise, and democracy in Cuba.
