U.S. Republicans Target Mexico Over Cuba Oil as Trump Team Weighs Maritime Blockade

Following the U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and disrupted Caracas’ oil lifeline to Cuba, Mexico has quietly emerged as Havana’s top crude supplier, reportedly providing about 13,000 barrels per day, or 44% of Cuba’s 2025 imports. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, the only Cuban‑born member of Congress, is urging the Trump administration and Congress to use July’s United States‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement (USMCA) review to pressure Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to cut off those flows, arguing that Mexico is now "trying to prop" a weakened Cuban regime. The article says the Trump administration is also considering a maritime blockade on oil shipments to Cuba, an escalation from its earlier focus on Venezuelan exports that analysts warn could trigger an acute economic crisis on the island. Heritage Foundation analyst Andres Martinez‑Fernandez adds that Cuba–Mexico ties deepened under Sheinbaum’s predecessor and now include a controversial Cuban medical‑worker program he characterizes as "forced slavery for revenue," another potential pressure point for Washington. Together, these moves signal a shift in U.S. strategy from squeezing Cuba via Venezuela to confronting a major U.S. trade partner over its role in keeping the Díaz‑Canel government afloat, with obvious implications for regional stability, migration, and U.S.–Mexico relations.