Federal authorities in Florida and Texas have seized more than 600,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel intended for Cuba, marking a significant enforcement action following the Trump administration’s imposition of a fuel blockade on the island earlier this year. The Department of Homeland Security valued the shipments at over $2.8 million. The fuel was linked to ENETEC S.A., a Cuban government-affiliated company that was sanctioned by the U.S. government in July.

Homeland Security Investigations’ special agent in charge in Miami, José R. Figueroa, described the shipments as part of a “deliberate and coordinated effort” to supply ENETEC. He did not disclose the identities of the U.S. companies involved or the country where the fuel originated, citing an ongoing investigation. Officials also did not announce any criminal charges.

Cuba depends heavily on foreign fuel imports to support its electric grid and general functioning, despite some domestic production. The U.S. fuel restrictions were intensified after the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, was captured in January, severing Cuba’s main fuel supply source. Subsequent threats of tariffs led other countries to halt exports to Cuba. These measures have contributed to widespread power outages, affecting refrigeration, lighting, and the operation of hospitals and schools.

The recent seizures involved 71 shipments totaling approximately 496,000 gallons seized at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and 19 shipments totaling about 119,000 gallons confiscated at the Port of Houston. The action follows growing tensions as diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba have stalled, disappointing some members of Miami’s Cuban exile community who seek more rapid political and economic reforms on the island.

Cuba has recently implemented an economic restructuring plan aimed at expanding private enterprise and easing state controls. Notably, the Cuban baseball team Industriales announced its first commercial sponsorship by a private-sector U.S. fuel distributor, which opened its first retail outlet in Cuba earlier this year. The U.S. Treasury Department has issued individual licenses permitting fuel exports from the United States to private businesses in Cuba. Figueroa emphasized that the seizures were not intended to disrupt legitimate humanitarian aid benefiting Cuban families and communities.

The U.S. State Department characterized the sanctions as an effort to “break the regime’s monopoly on fuel,” thereby promoting private enterprise in Cuba. While acknowledging some risk of diversion of fuel to regime-connected entities, the department pledged to continue targeting companies that attempt to circumvent sanctions.

Enforcement actions extend beyond ports. The U.S. Coast Guard recently seized a cargo ship carrying fuel bound for Cuba and earlier in the summer intercepted another vessel transporting 210,000 gallons of fuel.

Economic experts monitoring Cuba’s fuel market have observed a recent surge in U.S. private fuel sales to the island, raising concerns that the influx might ultimately strengthen government control. Fuel prices have notably declined from $5 to $2.50 per liter, indicating increased availability. Some analysts view this pattern as evidence of a lack of coherent U.S. strategy, speculating whether these shipments are part of a conscious effort to avoid a humanitarian crisis or the result of local actors exploiting regulatory gaps.

Michael Bustamante, a Cuba specialist at the University of Miami, remarked on the situation’s complexity, noting the Cuban capacity for “creativity and ingenuity” in navigating such constraints.