US Expands Cuba Sanctions, Detains Americans

The Trump administration has escalated economic pressure on Cuba, imposing new penalties on 10 state-owned firms and the leadership of ICAP, while tightening enforcement of rules barring Americans from dealings with government-linked Cuban entities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed ICAP as backing a subversive network in the United States and cited Fidel Castro’s birthday as a mobilizing moment for regime sympathizers. Officials describe the policy as part of a broader drive to cut off funding to the Cuban government, including a longtime oil blockade that has deepened the island’s crisis. The White House has signaled potential military options in the past as leverage to compel change, reinforcing a high-stakes approach to Havana. In commentary tying Cuba policy to broader regional aims, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the strategy is working in Cuba and could be applied against Iran, arguing that a blockade-plus-sanctions approach reduces the likelihood of direct confrontation. Cuba has long denounced these measures as destabilizing and a violation of its sovereignty, underscoring the friction in U.S.-Cuba relations.