Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday that the U.S. Department of State has designated 11 Cuban government officials and three security agencies for sanctions, targeting the island nation’s leadership structure. The sanctioned entities include Cuba’s Directorate of Intelligence, the Revolutionary National Police, and the Ministry of Interior.
The list comprises individuals such as Eugenio Armando Rabilero Aguilera, Raul Cuba Villar Kessel, Joaquin Quintas Sola, Jose Miguel Gomez Del Vallin (Cuba’s chief of staff of military counterintelligence), Vicente de la O Levy (minister of energy and mines), Rosabel Gamon Verde (minister of justice), Mayra Arevich Marin (minister of communications), Juan Esteban Lazo Hernandez (president of Cuba’s National Assembly), and Dr. Roberto Tomas Morales Ojeda (secretary of the party’s Organization of the Central Committee).
The sanctions block any assets these individuals or entities may have within the U.S. financial system, including those that come into contact with it. Many of those designated had previously been subject to U.S. sanctions.
Rubio stated the new measures advance President Trump’s administration’s comprehensive campaign to address national security threats posed by Cuba’s communist regime and hold accountable both the regime and those who provide material support. A State Department spokesperson signaled further pressure is imminent, adding: “The United States will continue to take action to counter the Cuban regime, those furthering its goals, and those abroad enabling the elites to profit while the Cuban people suffer.”
The administration has previously described Cuba as a communist dictatorship located 90 miles off Florida’s coast. Rubio indicated additional sanctions targeting the regime’s security and intelligence apparatus are forthcoming.
