Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on June 4, 2026, that the State Department is designating five Cuban entities and five individuals under Executive Order 14404. The department said the Cuba sanctions target actors linked to repression in Cuba, threats to U.S. national security, and revenue networks connected to the Cuban military.
The action expands Washington’s sanctions campaign against Cuban government bodies, senior officials, family members and entities linked to state revenue. The State Department said the designations were made under a May 2026 executive order that authorizes sanctions connected to repression in Cuba and U.S. security concerns.
State Department Expands Cuba Sanctions
The State Department said the June 4 action designates five entities and five individuals as part of the Trump Administration’s Cuba sanctions policy. The department said the action is intended to target people and organizations it says sustain Cuban government operations, support repression, or pose threats to U.S. national security.
The announcement was issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio through a State Department press statement and a linked fact sheet. The department said the designations were made pursuant to Executive Order 14404, signed in May 2026, which authorizes sanctions related to repression in Cuba and threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy.
Additionally, the Federal Register published Executive Order 14404 on May 7, 2026, after it was signed on May 1, 2026. The order states that specified Cuban government actions continue to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
Executive Order 14404 Provides Sanctions Authority
The State Department said all targets named in the June 4 fact sheet were designated under Executive Order 14404. The department cited sections of the order covering Cuban government instrumentalities, government-linked actors, adult family members of designated persons, and activity in the metals and mining sector of the Cuban economy.
The legal effect is property blocking for designated persons whose property or interests in property are in the United States or under U.S. person control. The State Department said such property must be reported to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from transactions involving blocked property unless authorized or exempt.
| Indicator | Recent Movement | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Entities designated | Five entities named | The State Department fact sheet identified MINFAR, ICAP, Amistur Cuba SA, CDR and Minera la Victoria SA under Executive Order 14404. |
| Individuals designated | Five individuals named | The State Department named Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez, Lis Cuesta Peraza, Manuel Anido Cuesta, Alejandro Castro Espin and Raul Alejandro Castro Calis. |
| Ownership threshold | 50 percent rule applied | The State Department said entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. |
| Foreign sanctions risk | Non-U.S. actors warned | The State Department said foreign persons dealing with designated parties, or operating in specified Cuban sectors, may face sanctions risk. |
Cuban Entities Named In The Action
The State Department named the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, known as MINFAR, as a designated entity. The department described MINFAR as the government ministry in charge of the Cuban military and designated it as a political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Cuba.
The department also designated the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, known as ICAP. According to the State Department fact sheet, ICAP was founded by Fidel Castro in 1960 and is being designated as a Cuban government instrumentality.
Additionally, Amistur Cuba SA was designated because the State Department said it is owned, controlled, directed by, or acts on behalf of ICAP. The Committees for the Defense of the Revolution were also designated, with the State Department saying the organization operates under the direction of Cuba’s Ministry of Interior, which was previously designated.
Designated Organizations And Government Bodies
The State Department’s entity list also includes Minera la Victoria SA, a gold mining joint venture. The department said the company was designated for operating in the metals and mining sector of the Cuban economy.
The sanctions expand compliance obligations for banks, companies and intermediaries that handle property or transactions involving designated persons. According to the State Department, property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction must be blocked and reported where required. However, the State Department framed the action as a sanctions measure, not as a criminal finding by a court.
- Military control: The State Department said MINFAR is the Cuban government ministry responsible for the military and that its majority holdings and subsidiaries are considered blocked.
- Revenue focus: The State Department said Minera la Victoria SA is linked to gold mining revenue involving Cuban state-owned Geominera SA and Australia-based Antilles Gold Ltd.
- Compliance risk: The State Department warned that foreign banks and companies providing services to designated parties are at risk of sanctions and should freeze those activities.
Individuals Targeted By The Designations
The State Department designated Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez under Executive Order 14404 for being a leader or official of the Government of Cuba. It also designated Lis Cuesta Peraza, identified by the department as Díaz-Canel’s spouse, and Manuel Anido Cuesta, identified as her son and Díaz-Canel’s stepson.
The fact sheet also named Alejandro Castro Espin, described by the State Department as a former head of Cuban intelligence services and the son of Raul Modesto Castro Ruz. Additionally, Raul Alejandro Castro Calis was designated as the son of Alejandro Castro Espin and an adult family member of a designated person.
The State Department said the individuals are part of networks that direct, fund, or support Cuban government activity it characterizes as a threat to U.S. national security. The practical effect is that covered property and interests in property are blocked, while dealings by U.S. persons involving those interests are generally prohibited unless licensed or exempt.
The sanctions also create compliance consequences beyond the named targets through property-blocking rules and the 50 percent ownership standard.
The June 4 action expands U.S. sanctions targeting Cuban government bodies, senior officials, family members and a mining-sector entity. The State Department said the measures are based on Executive Order 14404 and include property-blocking provisions, ownership restrictions and potential sanctions exposure for parties dealing with designated persons.
Sources: U.S. Department of State Cuba Releases, Federal Register Executive Order 14404, Treasury Department OFAC Executive Order Notice.
Prepared by Ivan Alexander Golden, Founder of THX News, an independent news organization delivering timely insights from global official sources.
Research combines AI-assisted analysis with human-edited accuracy and context.