WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump expanded sanctions on Cuba as he continues to threaten the communist-run Caribbean nation with military action after ousting Venezuela's leader from power.
Trump signed an executive order May 1 imposing new sanctions on individuals and entities that support Cuba's government and security apparatus and are complicit in "government corruption or serious human rights violations." The order also singles out people, banks and organizations that have made transactions with those targeted in the order.
The names of the individuals and entities hit with the sanctions were not immediately clear. Details of the sanctions were also unclear.
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Trump has repeatedly said Cuba is on the verge of collapse and hinted at U.S. intervention following his administration's January military operation in Venezuela in which the United States captured the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, and charged him with narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking and weapons crimes.
In the order, Trump accused Cuba of aligning itself with countries and actors hostile to the United States including hosting "foreign adversary facilities focused on targeting and exploiting sensitive national security information from the United States." The order states that Cuba has maintained "close ties" with major state sponsors of terrorism ‒ singling out Iran ‒ and provided safe haven for terrorist groups such as Hezbollah.
A U.S. official, on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Cuba provides a "permissive environment" for hostile foreign intelligence, military and terrorist operations less than 100 miles from the United States.
The order further states that the Cuban government persecutes and tortures political opponents, denies citizens free speech and "actively spreads communist ideology across the region while repressing its populace."
Trump has floated potential military action in Cuba similar to the operation executed in Venezuela.
"Cuba is next," Trump said on March 27, though not specifying how the United States could get involved. On April 13, Trump said the United States might "stop by Cuba" after the ongoing conflict with Iran is "finished."
Cuba already faces heavy U.S. sanctions and a longstanding embargo that requires the communist government to make sweeping political and economic changes, including the release of political prisoners, before the island can legally do business with American companies.
USA TODAY reported in April that senior State Department officials warned their Cuban counterparts in a recent meeting that they had a small window to meet U.S. demands before circumstances irreversibly worsened. The Pentagon was asked to draw up contingency plans in case Trump decides to launch a military operation.
Contributing: Reuters and USA TODAY's Francesca Chambers
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump hits Cuba with new sanctions, singling out ties with Iran
