Havana/Miami-Dade County revoked with immediate effect the Local Business Tax for a group of companies accused of illegally participating in trade with the Cuban Government, a decision that, according to local authorities, seeks to prevent South Florida from being used as an economic platform to support the Havana regime.
The measure was announced this Monday by the county tax collector, Dariel Fernandez, who stated that his office completed a warning and verification process that began weeks ago and is now entering an execution phase. “Miami-Dade County will not be used as a platform to finance or support a regime that represses its people and violates federal law,” the official wrote on his social networks.
According to an official statement, the collector’s office acted under Section 205.0532 of the Florida Statutes and Section A-175.1 of the Miami-Dade County Code, which authorizes the revocation or denial of renewal of the Local Business Tax to companies that carry out operations with Cuba in violation of US federal legislation.
The process began on October 28, when a first round of 75 letters was sent to companies suspected of maintaining commercial ties with the Cuban dictatorship. These notifications requested documentation demonstrating the existence of a valid federal authorization, either through specific or general licenses issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac), of the Department of the Treasury, or by the Bureau of Industry and Security (Bis), of the Department of Commerce.
After expiration of that period and in the absence of additional documentation, the collector’s office proceeded to revoke the Local Business Tax
According to the county itself, 48 companies responded and managed to demonstrate that they did not do business with Cuba or that they had sufficient legal support. The remainder received a second notice, sent on November 25 by certified mail, warning them that failure to respond would be interpreted as an indication of noncompliance with federal law and would result in the revocation of their local license.
After that period expired and in the absence of additional documentation, the collector’s office proceeded to revoke the Local Business Tax, which prevents the aforementioned companies from operating legally within the county. Those affected include travel agencies, shipping companies and logistics firms, several of them with multiple locations in South Florida.
The collector stressed that the revocation of the local tax takes immediate effect and that any company that continues to operate without a valid license is exposed to additional penalties and legal consequences under current regulations.
Among the affected companies, travel agencies and shipping businesses linked to the Cuban market predominate, a sector that has grown in the heat of the constant flow between exile and the Island. They include, for example, Havana Sky Travel, with two offices in southern Florida, and Yumury Envoys & Travel, both dedicated to tickets, parcels and arrangements to Cuba. In the field of cargo and international courier, Globi Envoys, BM Envoys Cargo and R&R Logistics appear, companies that operate as intermediaries in the transportation of goods. The list also includes multiple service and administrative procedures companies, such as AMZ Immigration & Multi-Services, Lucero Services, JM Services, Martinair Travel and JC Montoya Services, registered as general or travel services businesses.
The official also announced that this action will not be the last
Beyond the administrative component, the advertisement incorporates a marked political tone. Fernández, a Cuban immigrant, linked the decision to his personal experience. “As a Cuban immigrant, I know firsthand the cost of this regime’s abuses and I will not allow our community to be complicit,” he said in his public message.
The official also announced that this action will not be the last. “This is just the beginning,” he warned in his statement, noting that his office will continue to investigate and notify other companies that do not comply with legal requirements. “We will act with firmness, responsibility and unwavering respect for the rule of law.”
Although the revocation of the local tax prevents operating within the county, it is not equivalent to a criminal process nor does it replace the competence of the federal authorities in charge of enforcing the embargo and sanctions against Cuba. Its scope is, therefore, administrative and territorial, limited to Miami-Dade, but with a strong symbolic and political value.
