A total of 20 businesses had their licenses revoked in Miami-Dade County due to suspicions of illegal trade with the Cuban regime, according to a statement released Monday by the county’s tax collector, Cuban-American politician Dariel Fernandez.
According to the statement, Fernandez’s office initiated the legal process on October 28, sending letters to 75 businesses suspected of involvement in illegal transactions with Havana.
All were required to demonstrate their authorization to trade with Cuba by submitting documents, including a specific or general license issued by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
Of the businesses contacted, “48 responded and provided sufficient documentation or demonstrated that they were not involved in any business with Cuba,” explains the statement issued by Fernández’s office.
The remaining businesses were sent a second notification, with the warning that failure to respond would be considered an indication that they were operating without authorization and were violating federal law, and that their local business tax (which is required for their operation) would be subject to revocation.
After the granted extension expired and the businesses failed to respond, the tax collector’s office proceeded with the revocation of their licenses, which took effect on Monday, the statement explains.
“In accordance with Section 205.0532 of the Florida Statutes and Section A-175.1 of the Miami-Dade County Code, the tax collector is authorized to revoke or refuse to renew the Local Business Tax of any person, business, or entity, or its parent company, that conducts business with Cuba in violation of federal law,” the statement noted.
Fernández—who emigrated in the 1990s and became the county’s first tax collector since 1977, following the November 2024 election—also announced on Monday the revocation of licenses for companies that “illegally engage in trade with the Cuban communist dictatorship” on his Facebook page, where he emphasized that Miami-Dade County “will not be used as a platform to finance or sustain a regime that represses its people and violates federal law.”
“This is about responsibility, respect for the rule of law, and standing firm against tyranny,” he emphasized.
“As a Cuban immigrant, I know firsthand the cost of this regime’s abuses, and I will not allow our community to be complicit. There will be more enforcement actions,” anticipated Fernández, who had warned in early September that he would not tolerate “businesses that attempt to profit by illegally participating in trade with Cuba’s murderous communist dictatorship.”
“The county will never be a haven for accomplices of tyranny,” the official stated more than two months ago, noting that both Florida law and Miami-Dade County law itself establish penalties for those who collaborate with governments under sanctions.
The following are the 20 companies whose licenses were revoked for illegally trading with the Cuban regime:
- Havana Sky Travel Inc. (2 locations)
- AMZ Immigration and Multi-Services Corp.
- Global Cargo Corp.
- Globi Multiservices Inc., operating as Globi Envios
- Managua Travel Agency Inc., operating as Cuba Travel & Services
- BM Envios Cargo Corp.
- R & R Logistics Customer Freight Solutions LLC
- Leafy Holidays Inc.
- JM Services LLC
- Yumury Envios & Travel LLC (2 locations)
- Lucero Services Corp.
- OMD Multiservices LLC, operating as Martinair Travel
- JC Montoya Services Inc.
- Latin Logistics LLC, operating as Avianca Express
- Capote Express Inc.
- Pocho Express LLC
- Xcellence Travel Inc.
- Via Blanca Multiservice Inc.
- Tu Cuba Multiservices Corp.
- Xael Charters Inc. (2 locations)
