meta_id 3213810

On June 4, 2026, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, added five individuals and five entities to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) under the Cuba sanctions program established by Executive Order 14404. The designated individuals include Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, identified as Cuba's head of state, along with Alejandro Castro Espin, Lis Cuesta Peraza, Raul Alejandro Castro Calis, and Manuel Anido Cuesta. The designated entities comprise government and state-affiliated organizations: the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (MINFAR), the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), Amistur Cuba SA (a travel agency), and Minera La Victoria SA (a mining company). OFAC simultaneously issued a new Cuba-related Frequently Asked Question, FAQ 1258, to provide guidance on the sanctions designation. The designations expand OFAC's enforcement of U.S. sanctions against Cuba, which prohibit U.S. persons and entities from engaging in transactions with designated individuals and organizations. Any assets held within U.S. jurisdiction or controlled by U.S. persons are blocked. Financial institutions, travel companies, and other entities conducting international business must screen their customers and counterparties against the SDN List to ensure compliance. The updated SDN List is available on OFAC's website. Entities subject to U.S. jurisdiction should review the designations immediately and implement screening procedures to identify any existing relationships with the newly designated parties. OFAC provides detailed information on sanctions compliance requirements and licensing procedures for authorized transactions on its official website.