The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of State sanctioned Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez on June 4, targeting the island nation’s top leader with direct asset freezes for the first time under the current administration’s Cuba policy.
Four additional individuals were also designated, including members of Díaz-Canel’s family and significant figures in Cuba’s military apparatus. Five entities, among them the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) and the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), were added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list.
What the sanctions actually do
The designations were made under Executive Order 14404, signed on May 1, 2026. That order authorizes sanctions against Cuban officials and their families who are involved in the country’s defense, mining, and financial sectors.
In practical terms, any assets held by these individuals or entities within US jurisdiction are now frozen. American persons and companies are prohibited from conducting transactions with them. That prohibition extends to any entity owned 50% or more by a designated party.
