The United States government announced a sweeping round of economic sanctions targeting Cuba’s energy sector, military conglomerate assets, and international medical missions, according to the U.S. State Department.
Energy Sector and GAESA Asset Restrictions
Washington’s latest offensive strikes directly at the financial structures of the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), the military-controlled conglomerate that the U.S. State Department describes as the financial engine behind Cuba’s security apparatus. According to the sources, the measures designate the Centro de Investigaciones del Petróleo S.A. (CEINPET), the research arm of Unión Cuba-Petróleo (CUPET). Additional entities hit with restrictions include Empresa de Energía S.A. (ENERSA) and EINARBO S.A., both tasked with importing gas and lubricants from overseas markets including Mexico and India.
The State Department states that GAESA continues to shield its assets through complex corporate reorganizations. As an example, Washington cited the mid-June transfer of the Port of Mariel to Coral Marítima S.A., a move officials characterize as a deliberate evasion tactic. Other newly sanctioned entities include CEIBA Investments Limited, a Guernsey-registered real estate firm, and ORBIT S.A., a remittance processor allegedly controlled by the military conglomerate.
Financial Institutions and Mineral Enterprises
In a parallel announcement, the U.S. government penalized five state entities, focusing heavily on financial conduits and resource extractors. Secretary Rubio urged international banks and companies providing services to these entities to freeze activities immediately, warning that commercial partners risk secondary penalties. The targeted financial institutions include Rafin and the Banco Financiero Internacional (BFI), which Washington identifies as primary movers of regime capital.
The sanctions also hit key mineral and steel producers. The José Martí steelworks—Cuba’s largest producer of raw steel, recently modernized using Russian funds—was added to the blacklist alongside Geominera, a state company managing non-nickel metallic mineral assets with foreign backing from firms such as Australia’s Antilles Gold. Additionally, the restrictions extend to Annalie Lilliam Rueda Cardero, the spouse of Alejandro Castro Espín, who is the son of Raúl Castro.
Crackdown on International Medical Missions
The administration’s pressure campaign formally targets Cuba’s overseas medical missions, which Washington classifies as forced labor and human trafficking. According to the State Department, the Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos S.A. (CSMC) serves as the regime’s primary source of foreign currency. The Unidad Central de Cooperación Médica (UCCM), responsible for recruiting and managing deployed personnel, was also sanctioned alongside Health Minister José Ángel Portal Miranda and UCCM Director Gretza Sánchez Padrón.
U.S. officials state that the Cuban government retains between the specified percentages of the salaries paid by host nations for the services of tens of thousands of professionals deployed across more than 50 countries. These actions build upon a broader sanctions cycle that previously targeted entities like GEMAR, the Ministry of Tourism, and domestic security brigades, freezing all property and interests under U.S. jurisdiction.