U.S. adds Cuba's tourism ministry to sanctions list, targets ten state entities

On July 13, 2026 the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list and sanctioned nine additional state‑run entities. The list includes the maritime transport group GEMAR, the foreign‑trade firm GECOMEX, fuel‑sector companies ENETEC and COREYDAN, the export corporation ANTEX, the business group CAUDAL, and the conglomerate GAESA‑linked enterprises. It also targets paramilitary groups – the Rapid Response Brigades, the Territorial Troops Militia and the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution – described by Washington as “instruments of repression.”

The sanctions freeze any assets these entities hold in the United States, bar U.S. persons from dealing with them, and require a specific OFAC licence for any remaining transactions. They were issued under Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, 2026, to curb what Washington calls the “sources of financing” of the Cuban regime.

Cuban officials condemned the measures as “an act of collective punishment” and “a war against the Cuban people.” The tourism sector, already in sharp decline, saw a 48 % drop in international arrivals in Q1 2026, hotel occupancy falling to 12.9 % and tourism revenue down 42.4 %. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that further reforms are required and the United States will continue to use “all available tools” to press Havana.

The sanctions come amid a broader U.S. oil blockade that has caused widespread power outages, affecting more than 10 million Cubans, and are part of a series of measures that have targeted over 240 Cuban entities since early 2026.