U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday that federal immigration authorities have arrested Adys Lastres Morera in Florida, citing her connections to Cuba’s government and a major military-linked business conglomerate targeted by American sanctions.
According to Rubio, Lastres Morera is the sister of Ania Guillermina Lastres, a Cuban official associated with GAESA, the military-controlled entity that dominates large sectors of Cuba’s economy. She is currently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending deportation proceedings.
Rubio said he personally revoked Lastres Morera’s lawful permanent resident status, which she obtained in January 2023, after determining that her continued presence in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences. The decision was made under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that grant the Secretary of State broad authority in such national security-related immigration cases.
In a public statement, Rubio emphasized the administration’s firm stance on individuals with links to sanctioned foreign entities. “The United States will not allow foreign nationals connected to governments or organizations that threaten our national security interests to benefit from residency here while supporting those same entities abroad,” he said. ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit confirmed that the revocation and removal proceedings stem directly from Rubio’s foreign policy determination.
GAESA, formally known as the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., controls significant portions of Cuba’s tourism industry, financial services, and remittance flows. The U.S. government has imposed sanctions on the conglomerate, alleging that profits flow to the Cuban military and regime, sustaining repression and undermining democratic reforms. Cuban officials have repeatedly denounced the sanctions as unlawful interference and rejected criticism of their economic and political system.
The case highlights the Trump administration’s intensified focus on immigration enforcement targeting individuals with alleged ties to adversarial nations. Officials indicated that investigations into similar cases involving foreign adversaries will continue.
Lastres Morera’s arrest and impending deportation remain subject to full immigration court proceedings. She retains the right to contest the government’s allegations and seek any available legal protections or relief under U.S. immigration law.
This action comes amid broader U.S. efforts to tighten scrutiny on immigration from countries with strained relations and to enforce sanctions regimes more aggressively against entities like GAESA. Observers see it as part of a coordinated strategy blending foreign policy objectives with domestic border and immigration security priorities.
