WASHINGTON, May 18 - The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Monday that it had placed sanctions on nine Cuban officials and designated the island's Directorate of Intelligence, targeting senior figures in Cuba's political and military establishment.
The move is described by the administration as part of an expanded effort to increase pressure on Cuba's communist government. Officials involved in the designations include the island's communications minister and several high-ranking military leaders. The Treasury said the measures also extend to the Directorate of Intelligence of Cuba, known as the DI, which serves as the main state intelligence service for the Cuban government.
U.S. officials have framed the sanctions as a component of broader actions meant to curb the flow of fuel and other assistance to Cuba. Those efforts have included steps aimed at limiting shipments of oil from Venezuela and Mexico to the island. The administration has characterized Cuba's current government as corrupt and incompetent and has stated that it seeks a change in the regime.
According to the announcement, President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Cuba through measures that amount to a form of blockade by threatening sanctions on third countries that supply fuel to Havana. The U.S. actions have been linked by officials to worsening energy shortages on the island, including power outages, and broader blows to Cuba's economy.
The Treasury listed a number of senior individuals among those designated on Monday. Named targets include:
- Mayra Arevich Marin - a member of the Communist Party Central Committee who has served as minister of communications since April 2021.
- Juan Esteban Lazo Hernandez - president of the Cuban National Assembly, a longtime Communist Party official and member of the Politburo.
- Roberto Tomas Morales Ojeda - a senior Communist Party leader who formerly served as minister of public health and as vice president.
- Joaquin Quintas Sola - a general in the Cuban Army and vice minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.
- Raul Villar Kessel - a senior Cuban military officer.
- An unspecified number of other lower-level figures were also designated.
In addition to the individual designations, Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated the Directorate of Intelligence of Cuba (DI) as a sanctioned entity.
On May 1, the president signed an executive order granting broad authority to designate parties operating in Cuba's key economic sectors and authorizing secondary sanctions against foreign financial institutions that maintain relationships with sanctioned parties. Separately, a Justice Department official said last week that the Trump administration plans to announce criminal charges against former Cuban president Raul Castro on Wednesday.
Context limitations - The announcement and the accompanying statements reflect the administration's stated objectives and the specific designations it announced. The information presented here reflects those official statements and the list of named individuals and entities provided by the Treasury Department.