U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions targeting members of Cuba’s ruling elite and entities linked to the Castro family.

Axar.az reports that Rubio made the remarks on X.

“Cuba’s Communist regime elites preside over a failed state where ordinary Cubans go hungry while the Castro family and other insiders enrich themselves through sanctions evasion and other illicit schemes – and seek to export subversive Marxist ideology to the United States and other states in the Western Hemisphere,” Rubio said.

He said the sanctions target Fidel Ernesto Castro Calis, a grandson of former Cuban leader Raul Castro, Banco Exterior de Cuba, and four entities that are part of what he described as the “corrupt Castro financial and intelligence network.”

“President Trump and I are unwavering in our commitment that Cuba will be free,” Rubio added.

It should be noted that Raul Castro served as President of Cuba from 2008 to 2018. He was one of the leaders of the 1959 Cuban Revolution and the younger brother of Fidel Castro, who ruled Cuba for many years.