Additional Sanctions Designations Targeting the Corrupt Cuban Communist Regime and its Financial Backers

Today, the Department of State is designating nine entities and two individuals to continue to limit the Cuban regime’s access to illicit funds, including those gained through the exploitation of medical workers and sanctions evasion efforts.

All targets sanctioned today have been designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14404, which authorizes sanctions on persons determined to meet specified criteria related to repression in Cuba and other threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy.  

Sustaining the Regime’s Energy Sector

Pursuant to Section 2(a)(i)(A) of E.O. 14404, for operating in or having operated in the energy sector of the Cuban economy, the Department designated:

• CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES DEL PETROLEO S.A. (CEINPET), which is the research and development arm of the already-designated UNION CUBA-PETROLEO (CUPET) and is engaged in petroleum exploration and future energy research.
• EMPRESA DE ENERGIA S.A. (ENERSA), which is an importer of gas, liquefied gas, and lubricants.
• EINARBO S.A., which is an importer of gas, liquefied gas, and lubricants sourced from Mexico and India.

Countering Sanctions Evasion

The Cuban military conglomerate Grupo De Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA) continues attempting to shield its assets and revenue streams from U.S. sanctions through corporate restructuring and third-party intermediaries.  Accordingly, the Department designated:

• TERMINAL DE CONTENEDORES DE MARIEL S.A., pursuant to Sec. 2(a)(i)(B) of E.O. 14404 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the already-designated GAESA.  TERMINAL DE CONTENEDORES DE MARIEL S.A. is the principal container terminal in Cuba located in the port of Mariel and transferred the Port of Mariel to Coral Maritima S.A. in a mid-June transaction to evade sanctions.
• CORAL MARITIMA S.A., pursuant to Sec. 2(a)(i)(B) of E.O. 14404 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the already-designated GRUPO EMPRESARIAL DE TRANSPORTE MARITIMO PORTUARIO (GEMAR).  GAESA, through its subsidiary TERMINAL DE CONTENEDORES DE MARIEL S.A., transferred the Port of Mariel to CORAL MARITIMA S.A. in a mid-June transaction to evade sanctions.
• CEIBA INVESTMENTS LIMITED (CEIBA), pursuant to Sec. 2(a)(i)(A) of E.O. 14404 for operating in or having operated in the financial services sector of the Cuban economy.  CEIBA is a Guernsey-based firm invested in Cuban real estate, whose Panama subsidiary, CEIBA MTC Properties Inc., assumed full ownership of a former GAESA joint venture following GAESA’s designation.
• ORBIT S.A., pursuant to Sec. 2(a)(i)(A) of E.O. 14404 for operating in or having operated in the financial services sector of the Cuban economy.  ORBIT S.A. is a remittance processor almost certainly controlled by GAESA.

Overseas Medical Missions

As documented in the Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report, the Cuban regime has a policy or pattern of forced labor – a form of human trafficking – in the government’s labor export program, including its overseas medical missions.  Cuban officials exploit inherently coercive laws and economic conditions to manipulate or compel workers to join and remain in labor export programs, while confiscating between 50 and 95 percent of the wages paid by receiving countries.  Tens of thousands of medical workers across more than 50 countries are subjected to this exploitation, historically making the medical missions among Cuba’s largest sources of foreign currency.  The following entities and individuals are designated for their roles in administering, enabling, and profiting from this system:

• COMERCIALIZADORA DE SERVICIOS MEDICOS CUBANOS S.A. (CSMC) is designated pursuant to Sec. 2(a)(i)(B)for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of Cuba.  CSMC is the state-owned exporter of international health services that manages Cuba’s medical missions, Cuba’s main source of foreign currency that generates more earnings than any other sector of the Cuban economy.
• JOSE ANGEL PORTAL MIRANDA is designated pursuant to Sec. 2(a)(i)(E) for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of Cuba.  JOSE ANGEL PORTAL MIRANDA is the Cuban Minister of Public Health and is responsible for overseeing entities involved in managing Cuba’s medical missions overseas.
• UNIDAD CENTRAL DE COOPERACION MEDICA (UCCM) is designated pursuant to Sec. 2(a)(i)(B) for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of Cuba.  UCCM is an entity within the Cuban Ministry of Public Health that is responsible for recruiting Cuban medical professionals to participate in overseas assignments.
• GRETZA SANCHEZ PADRON is designated pursuant to Sec. 2(a)(i)(E) for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of UCCM, a person proposed for concurrent designation pursuant to E.O. 14404.  GRETZA SANCHEZ PADRON is the director of UCCM.

Sanctions Implications

As a result of today’s sanctions actions, and in accordance with Executive Order (E.O.) 14404 of May 1, 2026, “Imposing Sanctions on Those Responsible for Repression in Cuba and for Threats to U.S. National Security and Foreign Policy,” all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).  Additionally, all entities that are owned individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.

All transactions and dealings by U.S. persons or persons within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt.  These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.  Foreign persons that engage in transactions with persons designated pursuant to E.O. 14404—or that operate in the energy, defense and related materiel, metals and mining, financial services, or security sector of the Cuban economy, as identified in E.O. 14404— are themselves at risk of sanctions.  Non-U.S. persons, including foreign financial institutions, should proceed with caution in any dealings with a party sanctioned under this authority.  Actions to return assets to a sanctioned party or transfer them to another jurisdiction for potential use by the target expose non-U.S. persons to significant sanctions risk.  All property and interests in property of persons that are blocked pursuant to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) continue to be blocked.  The CACR prohibits persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction from dealing in property in which Cuba or a Cuban national has an interest, unless authorized or exempt.

The power and integrity of U.S. government sanctions derive not only from the U.S. government’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law.  The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.  

Petitions for removal from the SDN List may be routed through OFAC’s Reconsiderations Portal.  Petitioners may also refer to the Department of State’s Delisting Guidance page.

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