Updated on: May 1, 2026 / 11:35 PM EDT / CBS Miami
President Trump signed an executive order Friday tightening U.S. sanctions on Cuba, expanding penalties on the island’s government and on foreign companies that do business with it. The order builds on earlier measures and signals that Cuba remains a priority for the administration even as the United States addresses other international conflicts, experts say.
The order targets Cuban government officials, people accused of corruption and those operating in the country’s energy, defense or financial services sectors. It does not name specific individuals. New measures also increase pressure on foreign financial institutions by threatening their access to U.S. markets if they continue to work with Cuban government entities; the administration says the steps are intended to discourage deeper involvement from foreign adversaries.
Andy Gómez, a professor of Cuban studies at the University of Miami, said the executive order carries broader geopolitical implications and can be read as a warning to countries like Russia and China to keep their distance. “This is the hidden message behind what has been written, and that’s how I read it,” he said.
The moves follow months of pressure from the Trump administration, which has used the threat of hefty tariffs to largely block foreign countries from shipping oil to Cuba, causing severe energy shortages. Mr. Trump has not ruled out some kind of military action in Cuba; in a speech Friday he joked about addressing Cuba after dealing with the Iran war, saying, “On the way back from Iran… maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier… we’ll have that come in, stop about 100 yards offshore, and they’ll say, ‘thank you very much, we give up.'”
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the tighter sanctions in a post on X, calling them “coercive measures” designed to intimidate Cuba. The tightening comes as former president Raúl Castro made a rare public appearance Friday during Cuba’s May Day parade, a move Gómez said could be a calculated effort to project strength: “You’re talking about a man who is turning 95 years old… It sends the message that he’s still the one calling the shots.”
Gómez also noted an implicit warning about migration, saying the administration is signaling to Cuban leaders that a large-scale migration to the United States will not be tolerated. The executive order could have significant consequences for foreign banks, which risk losing access to the U.S. financial system if they conduct business with the Cuban government.
South Florida Rep. Carlos Giménez praised the sanctions, saying they target the regime’s security apparatus that jails political prisoners and oppresses its people, and warned that anyone who props up the regime will face serious consequences. In South Florida, where Cuban Americans closely monitor U.S. policy toward the island, the announcement reinforced long-standing concerns. Gómez said frustration has been growing within the Cuban American community as U.S. attention has shifted to conflicts abroad: “This move shows Cuba it hasn’t been forgotten,” he said.