Raúl Rodríguez Castro, known as "El Cangrejo" and a key figure in Cuba-U.S. negotiations, has been accused of supporting a human trafficking network linked to Cuban organized crime in Quintana Roo, Mexico, according to testimony from a detained gang member reported by The New York Times.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced the United States for what he called 'genocidal' practices and accused Washington of seeking to seize control of the island, as Cuba endures severe economic hardship from a US oil embargo imposed in January 2026 and additional sanctions.
The U.S. State Department released a 100-page report alleging that Cuba has operated a sophisticated intelligence network that penetrated the Pentagon, National Security Council, and State Department, while also promoting far-left extremism and cultivating American activists. The report, titled 'Cuba Report: The Capital of 21st Century Communism,' comes as the Trump administration expands sanctions against the communist government.
The United States Department of the Treasury has sanctioned Cuba's Ministry of Tourism and other state-owned companies, expanding existing sanctions to target a key sector of Cuba's economy amid growing tensions between the two countries.
Five years after Cuba's largest nationwide demonstrations since the 1959 Revolution, commemorations are being held in Cuba and among Cuban Americans in Miami, while human rights groups report hundreds of protesters remain behind bars and the conditions that sparked the uprising have worsened.
The UN General Assembly held a debate on the decades-long US embargo against Cuba after an overwhelming vote approved Havana's request. The session featured heated exchanges, with Cuba's foreign minister denouncing the 'ruthless' blockade and accusing the US of committing an 'act of war' over fuel shipment restrictions, while US Ambassador Mike Waltz delivered a sharp rebuke to the Cuban delegation.
Cuba experienced its third complete electrical grid collapse since the start of 2026, with power gradually being restored over 24+ hours. The blackout triggered public protests in several locations, with residents banging pots and setting fires to express frustration over the ongoing energy crisis.
Cuban lawmakers unanimously approved unprecedented economic reforms backed by the Communist Party and former leader Raúl Castro that would privatize vast sections of the country's socialist economy. The emergency measures come as Cuba faces punishing U.S. sanctions and mounting economic pressure.
Cuba claims its healthcare system is struggling under US energy sanctions affecting children's health and daily life, even as US exports to Cuba have jumped dramatically in 2026 through businesses exploiting a trade loophole to send fuel, food, vehicles and other goods past Trump administration sanctions.
The Trump administration announced new economic sanctions targeting Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, his wife, and members of the Castro family, marking the latest escalation in US pressure on Cuba's leadership amid ongoing food shortages and blackouts on the island.
General Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, met with senior Cuban military officials on Friday at the perimeter of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in a rare high-level military engagement. The meeting focused on operational security matters and comes amid heightened tensions as the Trump administration increases pressure on Cuba.
Cuba released the names of thousands of prisoners covered by a previously announced amnesty as the government engages in tense negotiations with the United States over various disputes, including the issue of political prisoners.
Cuba's national electricity grid suffered multiple nationwide collapses in March 2026, leaving millions without power after the United States imposed an oil blockade on the island. President Donald Trump publicly mused about taking over Cuba as the crisis unfolded.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a message to the Cuban people offering a potential 'new relationship' with the United States while condemning the island's Communist leadership. The outreach was made in Spanish on May 20, 2026.
The Trump administration has indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro on murder charges related to the 1996 downing of planes operated by Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. The indictment escalates Washington's pressure campaign seeking regime change in Cuba.
Classified intelligence reports indicate Cuba has purchased more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and discussed plans to potentially use them against US soil and Caribbean assets, raising concerns among US officials about hostile technologies in close proximity.
Cuba has rejected US military assessments alleging that the island nation acquired over 300 military drones and discussed plans to attack the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, US vessels, and potentially Key West, Florida. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez characterized the claims as fabrications.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe led a U.S. delegation to Havana on Thursday for talks with Cuban government officials, including Raul Castro's grandson, as Cuba faces a collapsing energy sector. The Trump administration indicated it will only engage if Cuba makes fundamental changes.
Cuba's energy minister announced the country has completely depleted its oil and diesel supplies amid a U.S. blockade that tightened after Venezuela stopped fuel shipments following its president's capture in January. The crisis has triggered rolling blackouts in Havana and protests in the capital.
The Trump administration imposed financial sanctions on Cuba's military-run business conglomerate GAESA and a Cuban-Canadian mining joint venture, prompting Toronto-based Sherritt to withdraw from its Cuban operations. Despite Trump's repeated threats that 'Cuba is next,' the US ruled out imminent military action.
China and Russia rallied behind Cuba's government amid mounting US pressure, as Moscow's deputy foreign minister concluded a Havana visit and Beijing signaled support, while Cuban President Díaz-Canel vowed to resist US demands for his resignation.
Cuba announced it will pardon 2,010 prisoners in what it calls a 'humanitarian gesture' during Holy Week, marking the second wave of releases in less than a month as the island faces mounting US pressure and an energy crisis under fuel blockade.
Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the influential grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, has become a central figure in ongoing diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Cuba, even as his grandfather faces a murder indictment in Miami related to a 1996 incident.
President Donald Trump has signed multiple executive orders threatening to impose tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran or provide oil to Cuba, escalating economic pressure on both nations and potentially affecting major trading partners like Mexico.
