Marco Rubio sanctions Cuban military companies and eight officials

The United States announced new sanctions on Thursday, August 6, targeting Cuban Armed Forces Minister General Alvaro Lopez Miera, seven other individuals and five state-owned entities over their alleged role in foreign military cooperation and arms procurement.

While Cuba has been under a U.S. trade embargo since 1962, President Donald Trump has drastically ramped up pressure in recent months, cutting off fuel supplies and threatening to take over the island.

Waldo Perez Cortes, Cuba’s military, naval and air attache in Beijing, was among six Cuban nationals and five entities added to the US Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list.