Those targeted by the sanctions reportedly include a son and a grandson of Raúl Castro, as well as President Díaz-Canel and the son of his wife. Several officials from Cuba’s Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and other government institutions have also been sanctioned.
Relations between the United States and Cuba have deteriorated further since President Donald Trump returned to office. Tensions escalated after Trump signed an order allowing the United States to impose steep tariffs on goods imported from countries that continue supplying oil to Cuba.
The move comes as Cuba remains under a long-standing U.S. trade embargo that has been in place for more than six decades, making it one of the longest-running sanctions regimes in modern history.
Washington accuses Cuba of hosting one of Russia’s most significant foreign intelligence facilities and of providing space for groups it considers terrorist organizations. U.S. officials have also criticized Havana for promoting communist ideology and maintaining close ties with geopolitical rivals of the United States.
Cuban authorities have repeatedly rejected such accusations, arguing that U.S. sanctions are politically motivated and have caused severe economic hardship for the Cuban people.
