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US ramps up Cuba sanctions and detentions of Americans returning from the island
Treasury and State officials targeted 10 Cuban companies and ICAP leaders as U.S. agents detained returning travelers for secondary screening.
The Treasury and State departments announced Thursday new sanctions against 10 state-owned Cuban mining, metal, and construction companies, alongside leadership of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples .
Portraying Cuba as a grave national security threat, the Trump Administration released a State Department report last month accusing Havana of sponsoring left-wing, anti-American activism for six decades.
Sanctions target ICAP president Fernando González Llort, first vice president Noemí Ramona Rabaza Fernández, and North America director Leima Martínez Freire, while restricting firms importing heavy industrial products and automotive parts.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained several Americans returning from Cuba last weekend after events marking Fidel Castro's birthday, seizing devices and warning of potential prosecution for sanctions violations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the institute sponsors "a vast subversive network in the United States," while the island faces economic free fall with fuel shortages causing blackouts and crippling tourism.