WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The United States (US) has announced a new round of sanctions targeting key Cuban state-owned companies and a member of the extended Castro family, as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Havana.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures target five entities that Washington claims generate revenue for the Cuban Government, including three linked to the military-controlled business conglomerate Grupo de Administración Empresarial SA (GAESA).

“GAESA continues to operate as the financial muscle behind the Cuban regime’s repressive security apparatus,” Rubio said in announcing the sanctions.