US Imposes Cuban President, Castro Family With Sanctions

The United States announced fresh economic sanctions Thursday on Cuba’s president and some of his immediate family, alongside members of the Castro family, in Washington’s latest ramping up of pressure on its communist-led neighbour.

Among those targeted were the son and a grandson of former president Raul Castro, who no longer holds an official position but remains a key figure in decisions about the future of the island.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel, his wife and stepson were also hit by the latest Treasury Department sanctions, as was the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and several other entities.

Cuba Says 32 Citizens Killed in Maduro Extraction — Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel delivers a speech as he flutters a Venezuelan national flag in support of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Havana on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured him. President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities in a dramatic climax to a months-long standoff between Trump and his Venezuelan arch-foe. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP via Getty Images)
Adalberto Roque | Afp | Getty Images.

While the United States has had an embargo on Cuba for decades, US President Donald Trump has drastically ramped up pressure on the island in recent months and openly muses about taking it over.

A de facto fuel blockade has deepened the island’s energy crisis and hit its already fragile economy.

The Treasury’s latest actions also follow an earlier move in 2025 when Washington restricted visas for the Cuban president and other high-ranking government officials.

Trump has repeatedly signaled that the Cuban government could be next after Venezuela to fall to US pressure.

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Jimisayo Opanuga

Jimisayo Opanuga is a web writer in the Digital Department at News Central TV, where she covers African and international stories. Her reporting focuses on social issues, health, justice, and the environment, alongside general-interest news. She is passionate about telling stories that inform the public and give voice to underreported communities.