Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last week that federal authorities arrested Adys Lastres Morera, the sister of sanctioned Cuban official Ania Guillermina Lastres, in Florida.
Rubio said Lastres Morera will remain in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending deportation proceedings after he determined she was removable under U.S. immigration law.
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According to Rubio and ICE officials, Lastres Morera entered the United States as a lawful permanent resident on Jan. 13, 2023, during the administration of Joe Biden.
Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, said he personally revoked her green card after concluding that her presence in the United States posed a threat to American foreign policy interests due to alleged ties to the Cuban regime and its military-controlled business conglomerate, GAESA, according to reports.
“For far too long, the family members of terrorist organizations, repressive anti-American regimes, and other bad actors who would threaten the national security of the United States have been given a free pass to enjoy the privileges of living in the United States,” he said in a statement.
“Past Administrations have permitted the families of Cuban military elites, Iranian terrorists, and other reprehensible organizations to enjoy lavish lifestyles in our country funded by stolen blood-money, while the people they repress at home suffer in increasingly dire circumstances,” Rubio continued.
“No longer. Under President Trump, we are removing from our country the family members of IRGC terrorists and Cuban regime elites,” he went on.
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“Let me be very clear: if you threaten the national security of the United States, there will be nowhere on this earth — much less in our country — that you and your cronies can live lavishly,” Rubio said.
“We will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”
On X, the secretary of state said that Lastres Morera was managing real estate assets in the U.S. while also aiding Cuba’s communist regime:
Adys Lastres Morera is the sister of the Executive President of GAESA, the Cuban military-controlled financial conglomerate that steals millions in aid for the Cuban people at the behest of the regime.
Morera was managing real estate assets and living in Florida, while also aiding Havana’s communist regime, until I terminated her permanent resident status.
I am pleased to announce that today, she was arrested and is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
There will be nowhere on this Earth – much less in our country – where foreign nationals who threaten our national security can live lavishly.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) indicated that Lastres Morera’s presence in the U.S. poses a threat and undermines American foreign policy interests, making him removable from the United States under section 237(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
“Adys Lastres Morera’s presence in the United States has potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for our nation, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has determined that she is removable under the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act,” HSI acting Executive Associate Director John Condon said.
“Allowing Lastres Morera to remain in the country would send a signal that Cuban regime-affiliated networks could continue to access the U.S.’s financial, educational and social institutions — but that is not the case,” Condon added.
“HSI will continue to investigate those with ties to our nation’s adversaries and take appropriate actions to neutralize threats against our homeland,” Colton continued.
Guillermina Lastres serves as the president of the Grupo de Administración Empresarial (GAESA), a conglomerate used by the communist Castro regime to control 70 percent of Cuba’s economy.
It is believed that GAESA holds as much as $20 billion in illicit funds concealed in overseas bank accounts.
The Cuban regime manages Cuba’s tourism industry, remittances, and the Cuban doctor program through GAESA and its various subsidiaries.
These three sectors are crucial sources of funding for the ruling communists and their oppressive regime, ICE noted in a press release.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
