June 4, 2026 / 7:49 PM EDT
/ CBS/AP
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The United States has imposed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, along with his wife and three other individuals, according to a filing Thursday from the U.S. Treasury Department. It's the latest Trump administration move to pressure the island's leadership.Included in the sanctions are Alejandro Castro Espín, the sole son of former President Raúl Castro and Vilma Espín. He served as an adviser to Cuba's Defense and National Security Commission and was present when Raúl Castro greeted then-President Barack Obama in Havana during a historic March 2016 meeting. Castro Espín's son, Raúl Alejandro Castro Calis, was also listed.The sanctions come after President Trump signed an executive order expanding sanctions against the island. He has been threatening military action ever since ousting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January, and then ordering an energy blockade that choked off fuel shipments to Cuba. That has led to severe blackouts, food shortages and an economic collapse across the island. Díaz-Canel has said that Cuba would "be ready" for a possible attack from the U.S. following threats from Mr. Trump.Last month, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on several Cuban senior government officials, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning that more sanctions would be expected. The threats took on new weight after the U.S. announced criminal charges against Raúl Castro. The new sanctions freeze individuals' property and bank accounts in the U.S., though it's unclear how intertwined their finances are with the U.S. financial system.Asked Thursday if his sanctions were meant to accelerate Cuba's collapse, Mr. Trump said, "We just want them to be a nicely run country."
