US sanctions nine Cuban state entities and three friendship institute leaders
The US Treasury and State departments designated nine Cuban state-run entities and three leaders of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples on 20 August 2026, expanding restrictions on construction, mining, and foreign trade.
Sanctions targeted at ICAP leadership
On 20 August 2026, the United States Department of the Treasury and the Department of State announced sanctions against three executives of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP). The measures from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) penalise ICAP President Fernando González Llort, First Vice President Noemí Ramona Rabaza Fernández, and North America Director Leima Martínez Freire. González Llort, a deputy in Cuba's National Assembly, previously served 15 years in a US federal prison for espionage as part of the Wasp Network.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the institute of operating a subversive network in the United States disguised as educational and cultural exchanges. Rubio stated that Havana sought to leverage Fidel Castro's 100th birthday to bring foreign sympathizers to Cuba to meet government officials.
Today's designations make clear that the Trump Administration will not tolerate the Cuban regime's efforts to fund its repression or continue its decades-long campaign of subversive anti-American activities.
State industries and trading firms blacklisted
Alongside the three ICAP officials, the Treasury Department placed nine Cuban state-run entities on its sanctions list. The designations target industrial sectors, including Cuba's Ministry of Construction and four mineral and metallurgy enterprises: Acinox Comercial, Geominsal, Metalcuba, and Empresa de Níquel Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara. Cuba holds significant deposits of nickel and cobalt.
- Mining and metallurgy
- 4 entities
- Foreign trade (GECOMEX)
- 3 entities
- Construction ministry
- 1 entities
- Labor recruitment
- 1 entities
The sanctions also bar transactions with Agencia de Contratación a Representaciones Comerciales SA, an entity that supplies Cuban labor to foreign enterprises. US officials stated that the agency withholds more than 90% of the wages foreign employers pay to Cuban staff. In addition, the measures designate three commercial import and export firms operating under the foreign trade group GECOMEX: Coratur SA, Transimport, and Consumimport.
Escalating economic pressure on Havana
The new measures follow an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in May 2026 that expanded sanctions on Cuban government officials, security personnel, and their associates. Washington had previously sanctioned ICAP as an organization in June. Enforcement actions have also increased at border crossings, including the brief detention of several American travelers at Miami International Airport following their return from Castro centenary events in Havana.
- US forces remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, leading to an oil blockade on Cuba
- President Donald Trump signs an executive order broadening sanctions on Cuban officials
- United States imposes initial organizational sanctions on ICAP
- Treasury Department designates nine state entities and three ICAP executives
The economic measures compound the impact of an American oil blockade imposed after the 3 January 2026 military operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela had served as Cuba's primary supplier of subsidized oil, and the loss of shipments has intensified energy and economic shortages across the island.
Cuban government response
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez condemned the new penalties, accusing Rubio of deliberately targeting production networks to restrict public resources. Rodríguez stated that Washington continues to penalise Cuban enterprises to damage the economy and prevent the state from delivering basic services to its citizens. The Cuban government routinely rejects US sanctions and the embargo in place since 1962, describing the measures as punitive actions driven by ideological hostility. The Cuban Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the latest designations.
