The US Treasury Department dropped a heavy economic hammer on Cuba’s leadership on June 4, 2026. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, several family members, and key state-linked entities to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, effectively cutting them off from the US financial system.
The move represents a notable escalation from prior measures, which had largely focused on visa restrictions. Now, any assets these individuals hold within US jurisdiction are frozen, and American persons are barred from doing business with them.
Who got designated, and what it means
The sanctions target a tight circle around Cuba’s president. Díaz-Canel himself tops the list, followed by his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza and his stepson Manuel Anido Cuesta. Also named are Alejandro Castro Espín and Raúl Alejandro Castro Calis, extending the pressure to the broader Castro family orbit that has shaped Cuban politics for decades.
On the institutional side, OFAC went after three entities: the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR), Amistur Cuba S.A., and Minera La Victoria S.A. MINFAR is Cuba’s military apparatus, which has long played an outsized role in the island’s economy. Amistur Cuba S.A. operates in the tourism sector, and Minera La Victoria S.A. is involved in mining operations.
