U.S. Sanctions Cuba's State Oil Company Cupet Over Expropriated Assets and Fuel Distribution

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on June 11, 2026, against Cuba’s state-owned oil and gas company Union Cuba-Petroleo, also known as Cupet. U.S. property and interests linked to the company and require any dealings to be reported to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

U.S. national security. Rubio stated that key assets of the company were unlawfully expropriated from American owners years ago.

Rubio said the company functions as a tool of repression, rationing energy supplies while Cuba’s leaders divert resources for their own benefit. He noted that regular Cubans face weeks-long waits for fuel and frequent blackouts, while the government maintains power in luxury hotels.

U.S. Campaign that began in January with restrictions on Venezuelan energy exports to Cuba and threats of tariffs on third-country oil shipments. Cuba’s foreign affairs minister, Bruno Rodríguez, rejected the sanctions in a post on X. U.S. Of tightening an economic and energy blockade and described Rubio’s statements as vulgar lies.

Cuba has previously said sanctions punish ordinary citizens and aim to destabilize the government.

““While the Cuban people have suffered fuel shortages and blackouts because of decades of under-investment in critical infrastructure, Cuba’s Communist leaders have diverted energy resources to line their own pockets.””

William LeoGrande, an expert on Cuba at American University, said the move appears designed to block major oil shipments and could deepen the island’s economic difficulties. Ricardo Herrero, executive director of the Cuba Study Group, expressed concern that private importers would lose access to storage and distribution facilities controlled by Cupet.