US diplomat Rubio targets Cuban military officials, companies in sanctions

The US has imposed sanctions on five Cuban companies and eight individuals. According to US diplomat Marco Rubio, these entities and individuals are accused of assisting Cuba in acquiring military equipment from Russia and China. Rubio stated that these actions are part of President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against the Cuban government, which he characterized as a threat to US national security. The sanctions are a continuation of increasing US restrictions on Cuba, with Trump having previously reinstated Cuba's designation as a "state sponsor of terrorism." The article notes that Trump has also suggested potential military action against Cuba, leading to reports of Cuba bolstering its defenses.

The United States sanctioned Cuba's senior military representative in Beijing, Waldo Perez Cortes, on Thursday. Perez Cortes, Cuba's military, naval, and air attache in Beijing, was added to the US Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list. The US State Department stated that Perez Cortes, an official of Cuba's Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, was involved in procuring military-related equipment from China for Cuba's armed forces. Six Cuban nationals and five entities were also sanctioned.