The United States government has recently sanctioned five ships and two individuals due to their connection with Cuba's oil transportation network. These sanctions have been enacted particularly because of the activities of these individuals and ships in Cuba's maritime industry and include broader sanctions on this industry.
Details of the Sanctions
Among the sanctioned ships, three oil tankers are linked to Caroil Transport Marine. This company, based in Cyprus, has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019 and has recently been sanctioned again. The sanctioned tankers include Esperanza with IMO number 9289166, Gloria C with IMO number 9540273, and Maria Cristina with IMO number 9502453.
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Two other ships that have been sanctioned include an LPG carrier named Emilia with IMO number 9242209 and an oil tanker named Lourdes with IMO number 9259692. These ships belong to Petroleos Maritimos Del Caribe S.A., commonly known as Petromarca.
Sanctioned Individuals
Regarding the sanctioned individuals, one of them is Guillermo Faustino Rodriguez Lopez Calleja, recognized as a member of the ruling family in Cuba. He has been identified as part of a broad network of maritime transport companies that move oil products to and from Cuba. Rodriguez Lopez Calleja is known to be the uncle of “El Congresista” - Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, a senior government security official and descendant of Raul Castro.
Another recently sanctioned individual is Any Rodriguez Lastres, a former business manager from the sanctioned port operator Terminal de Contenedores de Mariel SA, who is also from a ruling family in Cuba.
These sanctions, along with a statement from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, include new sanctions on wide sectors of Cuba's economy, including electronics, manufacturing, maritime, and technology industries. This action has been implemented immediately and may have a greater impact than sanctions related to individual operators. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has emphasized that any foreign individual engaging with these economic sectors in Cuba may also be subject to sanctions.
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