Miami/Madrid/The feeling of euphoria reigns in numerous groups of Cubans in Florida since this Monday the tax collector of Miami-Dade County, Dariel Fernández, stated on social networks that he had withdrawn the license of the car export companies Maravana Cargo and Katapulk. But the reality is that the two companies continue to sell vehicles with complete normality, as has been confirmed. 14ymedio.

“So far it is working normally,” a Katapulk Autos employee states flatly in a call to this newspaper. The worker confirms that for several months the company has been working with the Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota brands – as also indicated your website–, provides his recommendations and offers his willingness to start the process – including an estimate of the tax, which is paid in Cuba – as soon as the necessary information is sent to him.

Asked about the alleged withdrawal of the license, the worker is surprised that the news is emerging now and tells a very different version than the one disclosed by the authorities. On Monday, Fernández published the letters in which the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) notified each of the companies of the license revocation. In the case of Katapulk –from Cuban-American businessman Hugo Cancio–, the date of the letter is June 4, 2025.

“When we realized we were notified and absolutely nothing happened, I understand, but it was a long time ago”

It details that on December 3, 2024, during an inspection by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an excess load was detected in the shipment, since the license authorized the company to export 100 vehicles per month and 224 were being sent. This non-compliance motivated the revocation of the license, although an appeal could be filed in accordance with the law.

“We ourselves reported that we had exceeded the number of vehicles, although not in the value. Normally licenses come with two requirements, for value or quantity, at that time, we were almost the only ones who carried out this procedure, when we realized we were notified and absolutely nothing happened, I understand, but it was a long time ago,” says the employee, who considers that the dissemination of these letters at this time only has political purposes.

In the absence of an official version from the company, the worker’s comments suggest that a voluntary disclosure (Voluntary Self-Disclosure) would have been made, a legal figure that allows companies to admit non-compliance before a punitive measure is taken. If, despite this, the revocation notification is received, this document works as a mitigating factor in the appeal – it is considered good faith and willingness to comply with the rules – and very often helps to avoid losing the license permanently.

In fact, the federal doctrine of “good corporate citizenship” considers that companies that collaborate with the system should not be penalized with such severity.

There is no certainty that Katapulk has managed to evade the sanction in this way, but the truth is that not only is it still operational, but Fernández himself accompanied the dissemination of the letters from a letter sent by himself to the presidentDonald Trump, asking him to revoke the license of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac), which depends on the Treasury Department. The tax collector uses these two texts before the president as an argument for the non-compliance and the effort that local and federal authorities must make regarding these businesses, which he directly relates to “the murderous communist and socialist Cuban dictatorship.”

“In light of these facts, and in accordance with the measures your administration has taken to strengthen security in the Western Hemisphere, I respectfully request that the White House direct the appropriate federal agencies to conduct a careful and complete review of the general licenses related to Cuba and the licenses issued by the BIS [Bureau of Industry and Security, la Oficina de Industria y Seguridad]including end users (…) to guarantee that shipments do not reach entities controlled by the State,” says Fernández, who considers that this is a matter of national security.

In the case of Maravana, the BIS letter It arrived at the company on November 3, 2025 and the license was also notified due to a “drastic” excess in the number of vehicles exported. Although there is no reference, as in the case of Katapulk, to a specific operation or time, there is talk of 140 gasoline and hybrid vehicles and 337 motorcycles above the authorized amount.

This newspaper was also able to speak with the company, which confirmed that it was shipping motorcycles to Cuba normally.

This newspaper was also able to speak with the company, which confirmed that it is carrying out shipments of motorcycles to Cuba with complete normality and specified that it has been more than a year since they stopped selling cars and they do not plan, in principle, to do so again. The company is offering a Chinese Spi brand motorcycle that costs $2,000, although the employee indicates that all the information is sent in detail via WhatsApp.

The situation of both companies indicates that they appealed their sanctions and have been able to continue their activity, which would also explain Fernández’s interest in requesting the intervention of the federal government.

In 2022, the Joe Biden Administration authorized for the first time a US company to export vehicles to Cuba, Express Shutdown. The license was approved by OFAC as an exemption to the embargo, and was conditional on the sale being to private entrepreneurs and, in no case, to the State.

Since then, there are several companies that have benefited from similar licenses, becoming one of the businesses most flourishing between both sides of the Straits of Florida. According to the iInformation available in Cubatradein 2024 the total value of exports of complete vehicles was 67,241,234 dollars, compared to 10,546,419 the previous year and the residuals 89,848 in 2022. The jump in 2025 was enormous, with 122,472,519 dollars only between January and October.

In 2023 this newspaper interviewed the owner of Maravana CargoAlejandro Martínez, who insisted that his service was fully aimed at small and medium-sized companies. “We also do a person-to-person verification of the buyers so that they do not appear on the list of people sanctioned by the United States. Every client who comes to the company and is interested in or executes an export of a car to Cuba knows that it is under US law and has to comply with it. As such, we make them sign a document that the person who is receiving the vehicle is neither a member of the Party, nor of the CDR (Committee for the Defense of the Revolution). It is an official document, which is delivered to the authorities,” he said.

Miami/Madrid/The feeling of euphoria reigns in numerous groups of Cubans in Florida since this Monday the tax collector of Miami-Dade County, Dariel Fernández, stated on social networks that he had withdrawn the license of the car export companies Maravana Cargo and Katapulk. But the reality is that the two companies continue selling vehicles with complete normality, as has been confirmed. 14ymedio.

“So far it is working normally,” a Katapulk Autos employee states flatly in a call to this newspaper. The worker confirms that for several months the company has been working with the Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota brands – as also indicated your website–, provides his recommendations and offers his willingness to start the process – including an estimate of the tax, which is paid in Cuba – as soon as the necessary information is sent to him.

Asked about the alleged withdrawal of the license, the worker is surprised that the news is emerging now and tells a very different version than the one disclosed by the authorities. On Monday, Fernández published the letters in which the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) notified each of the companies of the license revocation. In the case of Katapulk –from Cuban-American businessman Hugo Cancio–, the date of the letter is June 4, 2025.

“When we realized we were notified and absolutely nothing happened, I understand, but it was a long time ago”

It details that on December 3, 2024, during an inspection by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an excess load was detected in the shipment, since the license authorized the company to export 100 vehicles per month and 224 were being sent. This non-compliance motivated the revocation of the license, although an appeal could be filed in accordance with the law.

“We ourselves reported that we had exceeded the number of vehicles, although not in the value. Normally licenses come with two requirements, for value or quantity, at that time, we were almost the only ones who carried out this procedure, when we realized we were notified and absolutely nothing happened, I understand, but it was a long time ago,” says the employee, who considers that the dissemination of these letters at this time only has political purposes.

In the absence of an official version from the company, the worker’s comments suggest that a voluntary disclosure (Voluntary Self-Disclosure) would have been made, a legal figure that allows companies to admit non-compliance before a punitive measure is taken. If, despite this, the revocation notification is received, this document works as a mitigating factor in the appeal – it is considered good faith and willingness to comply with the rules – and very often helps to avoid losing the license permanently.

In fact, the federal doctrine of “good corporate citizenship” considers that companies that collaborate with the system should not be penalized with such severity.

There is no certainty that Katapulk has managed to evade the sanction in this way, but the truth is that not only is it still operational, but Fernández himself accompanied the dissemination of the letters from a letter sent by himself to the presidentDonald Trump, asking him to revoke the license of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac), which depends on the Treasury Department. The tax collector uses these two texts before the president as an argument for the non-compliance and the effort that local and federal authorities must make regarding these businesses, which he directly relates to “the murderous communist and socialist Cuban dictatorship.”

“In light of these facts, and in accordance with the measures your administration has taken to strengthen security in the Western Hemisphere, I respectfully request that the White House direct the appropriate federal agencies to conduct a careful and complete review of the general licenses related to Cuba and the licenses issued by the BIS [Bureau of Industry and Security, la Oficina de Industria y Seguridad]including end users (…) to guarantee that shipments do not reach entities controlled by the State,” says Fernández, who considers that this is a matter of national security.

In the case of Maravana, the BIS letter It arrived at the company on November 3, 2025 and the license was also notified due to a “drastic” excess in the number of vehicles exported. Although there is no reference, as in the case of Katapulk, to a specific operation or time, there is talk of 140 gasoline and hybrid vehicles and 337 motorcycles above the authorized amount.

This newspaper was also able to speak with the company, which confirmed that it was shipping motorcycles to Cuba normally.

This newspaper was also able to speak with the company, which confirmed that it is carrying out shipments of motorcycles to Cuba with complete normality and specified that it has been more than a year since they stopped selling cars and they do not plan, in principle, to do so again. The company is offering a Chinese Spi brand motorcycle that costs $2,000, although the employee indicates that all the information is sent in detail via WhatsApp.

The situation of both companies indicates that they appealed their sanctions and have been able to continue their activity, which would also explain Fernández’s interest in requesting the intervention of the federal government.

In 2022, the Joe Biden Administration authorized for the first time a US company to export vehicles to Cuba, Express Shutdown. The license was approved by OFAC as an exemption to the embargo, and was conditional on the sale being to private entrepreneurs and, in no case, to the State.

Since then, there are several companies that have benefited from similar licenses, becoming one of the businesses most flourishing between both sides of the Straits of Florida. According to the iInformation available in Cubatradein 2024 the total value of exports of complete vehicles was 67,241,234 dollars, compared to 10,546,419 the previous year and the residuals 89,848 in 2022. The jump in 2025 was enormous, with 122,472,519 dollars only between January and October.

In 2023 this newspaper interviewed the owner of Maravana CargoAlejandro Martínez, who insisted that his service was fully aimed at small and medium-sized companies. “We also do a person-to-person verification of the buyers so that they do not appear on the list of people sanctioned by the United States. Every client who comes to the company and is interested in or executes an export of a car to Cuba knows that it is under US law and has to comply with it. As such, we make them sign a document that the person who is receiving the vehicle is neither a member of the Party, nor of the CDR (Committee for the Defense of the Revolution). It is an official document, which is delivered to the authorities,” he said.