Rubio sanctions Cuban groups with ties to US nonprofit network funded by communist donor Neville Roy Singham Secretary of State Marco Rubio has placed sanctions on five Cuban entities, including the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), which he alleges are part of Cuba’s intelligence apparatus and facilitate foreign influence operations. These targeted organizations have cultivated relationships with U.S. nonprofits, some of which are funded by communist American tycoon Neville Roy Singham. The sanctions aim to disrupt networks that U.S. officials believe advance Cuban interests internationally, with warnings issued to any U.S. entities providing services to the sanctioned actors.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio sanctioned five Cuban entities, including ICAP, citing their role in Cuba’s intelligence apparatus and foreign influence operations.
• ICAP has a history of working with U.S. nonprofits like People’s Forum, Progressive International, and CodePink, some of which are funded by communist American tycoon Neville Roy Singham.
• The sanctions target networks that U.S. officials believe advance Cuban interests abroad and promote Marxist ideology.
• Federal investigators are examining Cuba’s alleged malign foreign influence operation in the U.S., looking into a network of groups promoting Cuba’s agenda.
• ICAP is led by Fernando González Llort, one of the ‘Cuban Five’ convicted of espionage in the U.S.
• The sanctioned entities include ICAP, Cuba’s Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR), Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), Minera La Victoria S.A., and Amistur Cuba S.A.
• The Cuban government condemned the sanctions, accusing the U.S. of escalating economic pressure.