US sanctions top Cuban officials as tensions escalate

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WASHINGTON:  The United States has imposed sweeping sanctions against Cuba's top leaders, generals, and intelligence officials, signaling a major escalation of economic pressure on Havana.

The high-profile designations directly target the island's justice, energy, and communications ministers, alongside the Directorate of Intelligence (DGI), Cuba's primary espionage agency. 

According to a statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the measures are part of a comprehensive campaign designed to hold the communist regime accountable for pressing national security threats and to penalize those providing it material support. 

The blacklisted entities also include the Ministry of Interior and the National Revolutionary Police, which Washington accuses of violently suppressing domestic protests.

The diplomatic move follows unverified intelligence reports alleging that Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones for potential deployment against American targets, including the naval base at Guantanamo Bay. 

In response to the escalating friction, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel fiercely defended his nation's absolute right to self-defense, warning that any outright U.S. military aggression would trigger an immediate bloodbath.