Federal authorities have detained Adys Lastres Morera, whose brother serves as executive president of GAESA, a massive network of military-controlled enterprises in Cuba, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday.
Morera had been living in the United States as a permanent resident since 2023, but is now being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while facing deportation proceedings, ICE officials confirmed in a separate announcement.
Officials stated that Morera’s continued presence creates a security risk for the United States and works against American foreign policy objectives.
Cuban officials seldom discuss GAESA publicly, an organization whose full name translates to ‘business administration group’ from its Spanish acronym Grupo de Administración Empresarial.
The island nation has maintained that such secrecy is essential to counter American trade and financial restrictions that significantly hinder Cuba’s international business operations.
Attempts to contact Morera’s representatives for a response were unsuccessful.
