The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday against nine Cuban entities and three individuals, citing alleged activities directed against American interests and national security.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated the leadership of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) along with eight other Cuban organizations, including the Ministry of Construction of Cuba. The sanctions bar U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with the targeted entities and freeze any assets they hold under U.S. jurisdiction.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that ICAP sponsors a network operating under the guise of educational and cultural exchanges to identify, cultivate, and radicalize individuals in the U.S. He added that Havana recently attempted to leverage the centenary of Fidel Castro’s birth to mobilize sympathizers for meetings with Cuban 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," Rubio said in a statement. The sanctions follow a May executive order by President Donald Trump that expanded restrictions on Cuban government officials, security forces, and their supporters.
The nine entities and three individuals designated under the new measures were not disclosed in the announcement. The Treasury Department said further details would be published in the Federal Register on Friday.
