Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that federal authorities have arrested Adys Lastres Morera, the sister of sanctioned Cuban official Ania Guillermina Lastres,

in Florida and placed her in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while deportation proceedings move forward.

According to Rubio and ICE officials, Lastres Morera entered the United States as a lawful permanent resident on Jan. 13, 2023. Rubio said he later determined that she was removable under U.S. immigration law because of alleged connections to Cuba’s communist government and the military-controlled business conglomerate Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA).

Rubio, whose family has Cuban roots, said he personally revoked Lastres Morera’s green card after concluding that her continued presence in the United States posed a threat to American foreign policy interests. He accused previous administrations of allowing relatives of officials connected to hostile governments and terrorist organizations to enjoy the benefits of life in the United States while ordinary citizens in their home countries suffered under oppressive regimes.

In a statement, Rubio said the Trump administration would no longer permit family members of Cuban regime elites or individuals associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to remain in the country if they posed a threat to U.S. national security. He vowed that those linked to hostile governments would be held accountable.

Posting on X, Rubio alleged that Lastres Morera had been managing real estate assets in the United States while assisting Havana’s communist regime. He announced that her permanent resident status had been terminated and confirmed that she had been taken into ICE custody.

Homeland Security Investigations said Lastres Morera is removable under Section 237(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which applies to foreign nationals whose presence is determined to have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.

Acting HSI Executive Associate Director John Condon said allowing her to remain in the country would send the wrong message and could permit Cuban regime-affiliated networks to maintain access to American financial, educational and social institutions. He added that HSI would continue investigating individuals with ties to governments viewed as adversaries of the United States.

Ania Guillermina Lastres serves as president of GAESA, the military-run conglomerate that U.S. officials say controls much of Cuba’s economy through tourism, remittances and other sectors. American authorities accuse the organization of helping sustain the Cuban government, while Cuba has long defended its economic system and rejected U.S. accusations. The allegations cited by U.S. officials have not been independently verified.