Florida lawmakers urge federal officials to prevent loopholes in the Cuba embargo

Members of Congress from South Florida have sent a letter to federal officials expressing their “deep concern” about U.S. companies engaging in business activities with the Cuban regime.

The letter, signed by Carlos A. Giménez, Mario Díaz-Balart, and María Elvira Salazar, was addressed to Bradley Smith, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the Treasury Department, and Jeffrey Kessler, Assistant Secretary for Industry and Security at the Commerce Department.

In the letter, the lawmakers warn that these transactions could undermine the core objectives of the U.S. sanctions policy and contradict Congress’s intent as outlined in the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act (LIBERTAD) of 1996.

According to the letter, Title I of that law specifies that sanctions are designed to deny economic support to the Cuban government until there are tangible advances toward a democratic government, the rule of law, and respect for fundamental freedoms. Furthermore, the lawmakers note that sections 102 and 103 emphasize Congress’s determination that no direct or indirect assistance should provide resources to state-owned companies that sustain the repression of the Cuban people.

Giménez, Díaz-Balart, and Salazar argue that the licenses issued by OFAC authorize transactions that ultimately benefit the island’s government and military-controlled conglomerates. They believe these activities could provide financial resources, material support, or dual-use capabilities that might be diverted for internal repression or intelligence operations.

In light of this, the lawmakers requested a review of all active licenses that authorize commercial or financial relations with Cuban state-owned entities, as well as the revocation of those that economically benefit regime-controlled entities.

They also urged federal agencies to carefully review future license applications involving Cuba to ensure full compliance with the spirit of U.S. legislation.

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have taken a firm stance against the Cuban government, and Florida’s congressional representatives expressed their hope that federal agencies will enforce sanctions and uphold U.S. policy against what they describe as a “brutal” regime.

This story was translated from Spanish with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool. An NBC digital editor reviewed the translation.