Rubio orders arrest of Cuban national with alleged ties to Havana regime

The United States has arrested the sister of the chief executive of GAESA, a large conglomerate run by the military in Cuba, over her alleged ties to the communist regime.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio

According to Rubio, Adys Lastres Morera was detained by ICE after the State Department revoked her lawful permanent resident (LPR) status.

Morera, who managed real estate assets while living in Florida, reportedly aided Havana’s communist government, authorities said.

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The termination of his status was at Rubio’s discretion. According to Reuters, Morera entered the United States as a legal permanent resident in 2023.

“Today, Adys Lastres Morera, a Cuban citizen with ties to the communist regime in Havana, was arrested after the State Department terminated his lawful permanent resident (LPR) status at my direction,” Rubio said. he said.

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Morera is the older sister of Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, who was sanctioned earlier this month for her role as GAESA’s chief executive.

GAESA is described by authorities as an exploitative communist entity that exploits the resources of the Cuban people.

The Department of State announced Thursday that the department had revoked Adys Lastres Morera’s residence status. (J. David Ake/Getty Images)

“While the Cuban people suffer from the collapse of Cuba’s dysfunctional communist economy, GAESA functions to allow a small circle of regime elites to plunder all the island’s remaining resources and funnel illicit funds totaling $20 billion into secret offshore bank accounts,” Rubio said. he said.

He added that Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, as a senior executive, was responsible for managing international assets allegedly used to finance the “lavish lifestyles” of Castro-era elites and supporting efforts tied to broader ideological influence abroad.

The Cuban flag is seen at the US embassy in Havana. (AP)

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Rubio also noted worsening conditions in Cuba, including widespread power outages and severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine, arguing that GAESA diverted resources from basic needs under the communist system.

“GAESA’s ill-gotten riches are not being spent to repair the crumbling power grid, stock empty pharmacies, feed hungry families, or meet the most basic and basic needs of the Cuban people. Instead, they are being used to enrich Havana’s elites and finance ongoing campaigns of espionage, subversion, and revolutionary militancy against the free peoples of this hemisphere,” he said.