TITLE: United States Office of Foreign Assets Control Updates Cuba Sanctions Designations and Issues Russia General License
BODY:
On May 18, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) updated its sanctions designations and issued a Russia-related general license.
OFAC added nine individuals and one entity to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List). The designated individuals include Mayra Arevich Marin, Vicente de la O Levy, Rosabel Gamon Verde, Jose Miguel Gomez del Vallin, Juan Esteban Lazo Hernandez, Roberto Tomas Morales Ojeda, Joaquin Quintas Sola, Eugenio Armando Rabilero Aguilera, and Raul Villar Kessell. All individuals are Cuban nationals. OFAC also designated the Directorate of Intelligence of Cuba (Dirección de Inteligencia), also known as DGI or G2, established on June 6, 1961. All designations were made under Executive Order 14404.
OFAC updated existing SDN List entries for four Cuban government entities and officials. Oscar Alejandro Callejas Valcarce, Director of the National Revolutionary Police (Policia Nacional Revolucionaria), and Eddy Manuel Sierra Arias, Deputy Director of the National Revolutionary Police, had their entries updated to add Cuba-specific sanctions authority. The Ministry of Interior of Cuba (Ministerio del Interior) and the National Revolutionary Police entries were updated to reflect current organisational designations and establish linkages between entities.
Additionally, OFAC issued Russia-related General License 134C, authorizing the delivery and sale of crude oil and petroleum products of Russian Federation origin loaded on vessels as of April 17, 2026. This license permits specified transactions involving Russian petroleum products under defined conditions.