US Sanctions Nine Cuban Firms, Detains Returning Americans

The Trump administration hit Cuba with a fresh round of sanctions Thursday, penalizing nine state-owned mining, metal and construction companies along with the leadership of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, known as ICAP.

The Treasury and State departments announced the penalties jointly and said they are broadening enforcement of laws barring Americans who visit the island from doing business with government-owned or government-affiliated companies.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ICAP is responsible for sponsoring "a vast subversive network in the United States aimed at identifying, cultivating, and radicalizing" Americans.

What Was Sanctioned

The industrial sanctions target a nickel production company, two firms specializing in the import of heavy industrial products, a mineral resources company, the Cuban Ministry of Construction, a company that supplies Cuban workers to foreign entities on the island, and two enterprises that import vehicles, automotive parts and construction materials, according to the Boston Globe.

The ICAP designations hit three officials: president Fernando Gonzalez Llort, first vice president Noemi Ramona Rabaza Fernandez, and North America director Leima Martinez Freire. Gonzalez Llort was among five Cuban intelligence officers arrested in the United States in 1998 and released in 2014.

Bloomberg reported the package also reaches tourism and trading companies and officials who run the communist government's global outreach.

The Miami Detentions

US authorities had been prepared to pull dozens of returning activists into secondary screening, but far fewer met the criteria for enhanced questioning by Customs and Border Protection agents, officials told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the operation has not been made public.

Everyone detained was eventually released and allowed into the country. Officials said those released could still face prosecution if investigators find they violated US sanctions, which bar all transactions with Cuban government-owned entities — including restaurants, hotels and shops. The status of the seized phones, laptops and tablets was unclear.