The sanctions also target companies linked to exports and to the State Security apparatus of political and ideological control
14ymedio, Madrid, July 13, 2026 – The U.S. Department of State announced on Monday the addition of several Cuban entities to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, administered by the Treasury Department. This time, Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism is the highest-profile entity affected, accompanied by companies involved in product exports and fuel imports.
The new round of sanctions covers four major areas. Alongside the Ministry of Tourism is Caudal, the insurance and financial services group made up of eight companies—including Cubacontrol, which specializes in inspections—belonging to the military conglomerate Gaesa.
Among the companies involved in fuel imports are Coreydan S.A. and Enetec S.A., two firms registered in Havana that engage in the trade and wholesale of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. The first of these was responsible for bringing $60 million worth of hydrocarbons from Mexico to the Island in 2023, according to Bloomberg. According to the Mexican press, the state-owned company shared headquarters in Havana with the Cuba-Petroleum Union (Cupet) at 552 Amistad Street in Central Havana. However, 14ymedio visited the listed address at the time and found that none of the building’s residents had ever heard of the company.
This time, Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism is the highest-profile entity affected, accompanied by companies involved in product exports and fuel imports
Another significant section of the sanctions targets the well-known Corporación Antillana Exportadora S.A. (Antex), which is linked to Gaesa and is responsible for exporting Cuban professional services abroad, including doctors, engineers, and technicians. Its presence has been especially significant in Angola. Also included on the list are the Foreign Trade Business Group (Gecomex), which oversees the import and export of goods, and the Maritime Port Transportation Business Group (Gemar), which controls the country’s port infrastructure, vessels, freight operations, and maritime logistics. Gemar also oversees Coral Marítima S.A., the company that took over the assets of the Mariel Container Terminal after its departure from the military conglomerate Gaesa.
The final major group consists of several organizations within the political, military, and mass-control apparatus of State Security. The first is the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution (Acrc), which brings together the Island’s military veterans and internationalist fighters and operates under the command of the Communist Party to ensure political loyalty among retired military personnel. Also included are the Territorial Troops Militia, paramilitary forces subordinate to the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces that are tasked with controlling the population, and, finally, the Rapid Response Brigades, coordinated by the State Security services to monitor citizens and suppress protesters and political opponents.
The final major group consists of several organizations within the political, military, and mass-control apparatus of State Security
The new round of sanctions comes almost three weeks after the previous one, which added other Cuban state entities linked to Gaesa to the list, including Almacenes Universales S.A., Banco Financiero Internacional (BFI), Geominera S.A., Empresa Siderúrgica José Martí (Antillana de Acero), and Rafin S.A. That round also included members of the Castro family, a group that continues to grow but still does not include—at least for now—Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the general’s grandson and the designated negotiator in talks between Cuba and the United States.
Last Saturday, marking the anniversary of the massive July 11, 2021 protests, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a statement that the Donald Trump administration will continue using “all available tools” against the Cuban regime, which he accused of posing a threat to U.S. national security and refusing to undertake the reforms the Island needs. “Cuba’s leaders simply must choose to commit to real reforms, peace, and prosperity before it is too late,” he said.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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