Adys Lastres Morera, the sister of Brigadier General Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera — the executive president of GAESA and a key figure in Cuba’s military-controlled economy — was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Miami on May 22, 2026.
Morera entered the United States lawfully as a permanent resident on January 13, 2023, after being sponsored by her U.S. citizen son. Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly stated that while living in Florida and managing real estate assets, she was actively aiding the Havana government — activities that prompted him to revoke her green card because her presence posed a serious risk to U.S. foreign policy interests toward Cuba.
U.S. officials have been more than clear, individuals tied to the Cuban military’s financial operations will no longer enjoy a safe refuge here in the United States.
GAESA is a powerful military-controlled holding company that controls the Cuban economy, funneling billions of tax dollars to the Castro-aligned dictatorship. It’s run by a small circle of ruling elites, stealing the Cuban people’s hard earned money, diverting as much as $18 billion into overseas offshore accounts.
Cubans are living on high alert in an economy ravaged by shortages and hyperinflation. They endure grueling living conditions marked by rolling blackouts that frequently last between 12–20 hours a day. Multiple nationwide power grid collapses in 2026 alone have repeatedly plunged the entire island into darkness.
Without reliable resources, families struggle with basic tasks such as refrigerating food, cooking, pumping water, or charging phones, often resorting to wood fires for survival. Income taxes are high, reaching between 15–50% on earnings, leaving most citizens with extremely low pay that barely covers basic needs.
This case exposes the failures of the prior administration’s vetting process with lax policies that allowed individuals with deep ties to the dictatorship to gain lawful permanent residency in the United States.
By revoking her green card, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the administration sent a strong signal that America will no longer tolerate being a refuge for those tied to forces that prop up tyranny and exploit the Cuban people.
The Trump administration acted promptly once these connections were identified. This decision emphasizes the administration’s acknowledgment that close family connections to Cuba’s repressive power structure represent genuine risks to U.S. national interests.
Under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the U.S. is asserting firm leadership and confronting communist holdouts across the Western Hemisphere. This approach reinforces America’s commitment to accountability and national security in the region.
Miami’s Cuban exile community has welcomed the action as long-overdue validation. Families who fled Castro’s prisons and economic misery have long warned about the dictatorship’s influence reaching into South Florida. Many argue the move safeguards U.S. national security, protects American jobs and real estate markets, and upholds democratic values.
Adys Lastres Morera remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings under Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
