Federal immigration agents from ICE's Homeland Security Investigations division took Adys Lastres Morera into custody in Miami this week, according to CBS News. Lastres Morera is the sister of Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, the executive president of Cuba's Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., also known as GAESA.
The arrest followed Rubio's decision earlier in the week to cancel her permanent residency status, CBS News reported. In a social media post, Rubio explained the revocation by saying she "was managing real estate assets and living in Florida, while also aiding Havana's communist regime," according to CBS News.
Rubio has characterized GAESA as a "Cuban military-controlled financial conglomerate" and has claimed the organization holds $18 billion in assets while dominating roughly 70% of the Cuban economy, according to CBS News. Revenue streams, he has alleged, include hotels, banks, construction, retail operations, and a cut of money wired to Cuba from relatives in the United States.
ICE records show Lastres Morera first arrived in the United States with permanent resident status on Jan. 13, 2023, according to CBS News. Authorities determined this week that her presence in the country ran counter to U.S. "foreign policy objectives toward Cuba," qualifying her for removal under Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Authorities have placed her in ICE detention while her removal case moves forward, and as of the time of reporting, neither the State Department nor ICE had disclosed whether any criminal charges were being sought, according to CBS News.
