"These seven subentities disproportionately benefit the Castro dictatorship, a regime which uses the profits from these businesses to oppress the Cuban people and to fund its interference in Venezuela, at the expense of the Cuban people or private enterprise in Cuba," Pompeo claimed in the June 3 release.
The memo did not explicitly name all of the subentities, but instead described them as "one military-controlled financial institution, three military-owned hotels, two military-owned scuba diving centers, and one military-owned marine park for tourists."
Fincimex, based in the Cuban capital of Havana, was named by the secretary as the "military-controlled financial institution" in question.
Pompeo argued that Cubans "should have the freedom to decide what to do with their own money." At the same time, he also expressed that anyone visiting the island should be "responsible consumer" and not support businesses "owned and operated by the Cuban military."
This move comes just a day after the US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on four entities and four tankers owned by the companies due to their alleged assistance to Venezuela.
Venezuela is experiencing economic hardships brought about due to a country-wide fuel shortage due to oil-related sanctions slapped on Caracas by Washington.
Nevertheless, the US Treasury argued Tuesday that Caracas' attempts to renew its oil trade were contributing to "the suffering of the Venezuelan people."
