Trump's EO 14380: First Naval Blockade of Cuba Since the Missile Crisis

President Trump signed Executive Order 14380 on January 29, 2026, declaring a national emergency and authorizing tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba—effectively the first US naval blockade of Cuba since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Tankers from Mexico's Pemex were intercepted. UN experts condemned the order as a human rights violation. By February, fuel shortages had halted garbage collection in Havana. Cuba entered diplomatic talks with the US under duress, while Russia attempted to send oil tankers in late March, which OFAC also blocked.