Havana authorized Cubamax to “channel funds, through Cuban financial institutions, for deposit in accounts, debit cards, or loading prepaid cards.”
MIAMI, United States. – The Miami-Dade tax collector, the Cuban-American Dariel Fernandezdemanded that the federal authorities review “exhaustively” the reports on the company Cubamax Travel, which the Cuban regime officially allowed to send remittances to the Island.
In an interview with The New Heraldpublished this Wednesday, the Miami-Dade county official considered that it is “a security issue for the United States.”
Fernández spoke after the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) published in the Official Gazette the Resolution 135/2025which authorizes Cubamax, a company incorporated in Florida and domiciled in Hialeah, to “develop money transmission activities to beneficiaries in Cuba.”
In his statements, the official linked the matter to Washington’s sanctions policy. “When there is a company in the world that has some ties specifically with a country that supports terrorism, such as the Castro-communist dictatorship, Venezuela, Iran, China and other countries, I think it should be a concern for all of us who live in this great nation,” he stated.
In another statement, published by Martí Newsthe official maintained that “any activity that could put money or control in the hands of a communist dictatorship that oppresses its people must be examined with the greatest rigor. Remittances are intended to help families, not to strengthen or legitimize an authoritarian government,” without specifying the name of the business he was referring to.
Fernández also insisted that “United States law is clear that commercial and financial activity related to Cuba is strongly restricted and is only permitted under limited and explicit federal authorizations.”
“I respectfully urge the appropriate federal authorities to conduct a thorough review of this matter, ensure full compliance with United States sanctions and regulations, and take any necessary action to prevent US-based entities from contributing, directly or indirectly, to the financing or strengthening of an oppressive regime,” he concluded.
The Resolution 135/2025 of the BCC details that Cubamax will be able to “channel funds, through Cuban financial institutions, for deposit in accounts, debit cards, or loading prepaid cards,” as well as “deliver cash in national currency or foreign currency to beneficiaries,” in addition to “issuing receipts” and operating the technological platforms of the service.
The official text adds that the company certified that it has a “FT 230000013 Money Transmitter License” issued in the United States on August 4, 2010 by the Office of Financial Regulation, and establishes obligations such as designating a resident representative in Cuba, submitting to BCC supervision and complying with the operational limits established by the regulator. The resolution indicates that it will come into force “five business days following” its publication.
Although Fernández stressed that his office has jurisdiction at the county level, his warning is based on the federal framework that regulates transactions with Cuba. The Treasury Department administers the regime sanctions program through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and its regulations, while the Department of Commerce regulates exports and re-exports to Cuba through the BIS, with licensing and authorization schemes for operations linked to the country.
