Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions targeting the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, known by its Spanish acronym ICAP, along with four other Cuban entities. The designations target organizations that U.S. officials say are part of a network enabling Havana's influence operations in the United States, funded substantially by communist American businessman Neville Roy Singham.
ICAP was founded by Fidel Castro in 1960 to spread Marxist ideology and support for Cuba's government. U.S. intelligence assessments have long characterized ICAP as a key component of Cuba's intelligence apparatus. The sanctions also target Cuba's Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR), the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), Minera La Victoria S.A., and the state-run tourism company Amistur Cuba S.A.
Federal investigators are examining a network of 145 groups with collective revenues of approximately $1 billion that officials say promotes Cuba's agenda and communist ideology in the United States. The investigation, first reported by Fox News Digital, focuses on whether organizations funded by Singham acted as agents of foreign interests without properly registering under federal law.
What the Left Is Saying
Civil liberties advocates have raised concerns about the potential for sanctions to chill legitimate nonprofit activity. ICAP's leadership has denied wrongdoing, stating the organization operates as a civil society group facilitating cultural and educational exchanges between Cuba and international partners.
Progressive advocacy organizations named in connection with the investigation, including CodePink, have not been charged with any violations. CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin confirmed she received questions from federal officials about her organization's participation in a March convoy to Cuba but said the trip was a legitimate peace delegation focused on diplomacy. The organization has long maintained it operates transparently and within the law.
Some advocacy groups argue that scrutiny of nonprofit organizations engaged in international exchange programs represents government overreach into civil society. Critics note that cultural and people-to-people exchanges between nations have historically been protected forms of diplomatic engagement, and question whether administrative actions could ensnare organizations engaged in lawful activity.
What the Right Is Saying
Rubio framed the action as part of a broader effort to counter what he described as Cuba's decades-long role in supporting radical movements across the hemisphere. "For decades, Cuba has been the world capital for radical left-wing terrorism," Rubio said. "The regime in Havana has recruited, trained and backed violent Marxist and third-worldist movements across our hemisphere and beyond."
Administration officials say the sanctions signal a determination to target not only the Cuban government but also U.S.-based institutions that officials believe help project Cuban influence internationally. A declassified CIA report from the Cold War era described Cuba's international propaganda activities as a central component of Castro's foreign policy, naming ICAP among organizations used to cultivate sympathetic movements abroad.
Lawmakers in both parties have expressed concern about foreign malign influence operations targeting American civil society. Officials note that Singham has pumped $285 million into nonprofits since 2017 that built close relationships with ICAP and the Cuban government. The Treasury Department and Justice Department are examining whether these groups properly disclosed their foreign connections under federal registration requirements.
What the Numbers Show
$285 million: Amount that Neville Roy Singham has directed to nonprofit organizations since 2017, according to federal investigators examining Cuba's alleged influence operations in the United States.
145: Number of U.S. groups under federal scrutiny for allegedly coordinating with Cuban institutions, with collective revenues of approximately $1 billion.
5: The number of entities Rubio designated as off-limits under sanctions authorities established by President Donald Trump's Cuba executive order.
60+: Years since ICAP's founding in 1960 to spread Castro's revolutionary ideology and support for the communist government.
Fernando González Llort, one of five former Cuban intelligence officers known as the "Cuban Five" who were convicted in the United States on espionage-related charges and later released, now leads ICAP.
The Bottom Line
The sanctions designation means U.S. persons and organizations face legal prohibitions on doing business with these designated entities without special authorization from Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. The State Department says it is targeting what officials call a network that enables and funds Cuba's subversive operations in the United States.
Federal investigators are examining whether organizations connected to this network properly registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires disclosure of activities conducted on behalf of foreign principals. The investigation represents one of the most significant examinations of alleged foreign influence operations targeting American civil society organizations.
The action follows increased scrutiny of international nonprofit funding and comes as Congress and federal agencies assess whether existing registration and disclosure requirements adequately address modern influence operations that blend ideological advocacy with foreign government objectives.