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President Trump signed an executive order Friday tightening U.S. sanctions on Cuba, expanding penalties on the island’s government and foreign companies that do business with it.
The order builds on sanctions introduced earlier this year and signals that Cuba remains a priority for the administration, even as the United States navigates other international conflicts in Iran and elsewhere, experts say.
The executive order is aimed at Cuban government officials, people accused of corruption and people who operate in the country’s energy, defense or financial services sectors. It does not name any specific sanctioned individuals.
The new measures also increase pressure on foreign financial institutions by threatening their access to U.S. markets if they continue to work with Cuban government entities. The administration says the sanctions are also intended to discourage deeper involvement from foreign adversaries.
Andy Gómez, a professor of Cuban studies at the University of Miami, said the executive order carries broader geopolitical implications. He said it can be seen as a warning to countries like Russia and China to keep their distance.
“This is the hidden message behind what has been written, and that’s how I read it,” he said.
The moves follow months of intense pressure on Cuba by the Trump administration, which has used the threat of hefty tariffs to largely block foreign countries from shipping oil to Cuba, causing severe energy shortages. Mr. Trump has not ruled out some kind of military action in Cuba, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the country needs to enact significant economic and political reforms.
Mr. Trump has floated “taking” Cuba on a few occasions, most recently on Friday, when he said in a speech he plans to address Cuba after dealing with the Iran war.
“On the way back from Iran,” he said, to laughs, “maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the biggest in the world, we’ll have that come in, stop about 100 yards offshore, and they’ll say, ‘thank you very much, we give up.'”
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the tighter sanctions Friday in a post on X, calling them “coercive measures” designed to intimidate Cuba.
The tightening of sanctions comes as Raúl Castro, the former president, made a rare public appearance Friday during Cuba’s May Day parade. The move could be seen as a calculated effort to project strength, according to Gómez.
“You’re talking about a man who is turning 95 years old,” Gómez said. “It sends the message that he’s still the one calling the shots.”
According to Gómez, the sanctions also include an implicit warning about migration. He said the administration is signaling to Cuban leaders that a large-scale migration to the United States will not be tolerated.
The executive order could have significant consequences for foreign banks, which risk losing access to the U.S. financial system if they conduct business with the Cuban government.
South Florida Rep. Carlos Giménez praised the sanctions.
“The newly implemented sanctions against the Cuban regime are necessary to target its security apparatus—the machine that jails political prisoners and oppresses its people,” Giménez, a Republican, said. “Anyone who props up this tyranny will face serious consequences. We must end this repressive regime that continues to pose a significant threat to our national security. The days of impunity are over. Freedom and our security are not negotiable.”
In South Florida, where Cuban Americans closely monitor U.S. policy toward the island, the announcement has reinforced long-standing concerns.
Gómez said frustration has been growing within the Cuban American community as U.S. attention has shifted to conflicts abroad.
“This move shows Cuba it hasn’t been forgotten,” Gómez said. “Even with other international priorities, the issue of Cuba is still on the table.”
