ICE Arrests Sister of Top Cuban Regime Official After Rubio Action
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that federal authorities have arrested Adys Lastres Morera, the sister of Cuban regime official Ania Guillermina Lastres, in Florida and placed her in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings.
According to Rubio and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, Lastres Morera entered the United States as a lawful permanent resident on January 13, 2023, during the Biden administration. Rubio later revoked her green card after determining that her presence in the country posed a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests because of her alleged ties to Cuba’s communist regime and its military-controlled business empire, GAESA.
Rubio said previous administrations allowed relatives of hostile foreign regimes and terrorist-linked organizations to enjoy the benefits of living in the United States while maintaining connections to governments accused of repressing their own citizens.
“For far too long, family members of anti-American regimes and terrorist organizations have been allowed to live comfortably in our country,” Rubio said. “That era is over.”
He added that under President Trump, the administration is taking action against individuals connected to Cuban regime elites and foreign organizations viewed as threats to American national security.
In a statement posted on X, Rubio accused Lastres Morera of managing real estate assets in Florida while supporting Cuba’s communist government. He announced that her permanent resident status had been terminated and confirmed that she was subsequently taken into ICE custody.
“There will be nowhere on Earth where foreign nationals who threaten our national security can live lavishly while benefiting from access to the United States,” Rubio wrote.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations said Lastres Morera is removable under Section 237(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which applies to foreign nationals whose presence may have serious adverse consequences for U.S. foreign policy.
HSI Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon stated that allowing Lastres Morera to remain in the country could send the message that individuals linked to the Cuban regime still have access to American financial, educational, and social institutions.
“HSI will continue identifying and investigating individuals connected to foreign adversaries and will take appropriate action to protect the homeland,” Condon said.
Ania Guillermina Lastres serves as president of Grupo de Administración Empresarial (GAESA), the military-controlled conglomerate that oversees a large share of Cuba’s economy. According to ICE, GAESA controls major revenue-generating sectors, including tourism, remittances, and the Cuban medical worker program, making it one of the most powerful financial arms of the communist government.
U.S. officials argue that GAESA plays a central role in sustaining the Cuban regime and maintaining its grip on the nation’s economy while ordinary Cubans continue to face severe economic hardship.