UMVA has learned that the United States has arrested the sister of the executive president of GAESA, a massive conglomerate of military-run businesses in Cuba, due to her alleged ties to the communist regime.
The arrest was made after the State Department revoked her lawful permanent resident (LPR) status, a move carried out at the discretion of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Adys Lastres Morera, who was managing real estate assets in Florida, is accused of aiding Havana's communist government.
GAESA has been accused of diverting millions in aid meant for the Cuban people "at the behest of the regime," with Rubio describing the conglomerate as an exploitative entity that siphons resources from the Cuban population. The company's actions have allowed a small circle of regime elites to amass vast wealth, reportedly stashing $20 billion in illicit funds in hidden overseas bank accounts.
Morera, who entered the United States as a lawful permanent resident in 2023, is the older sister of Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, who was recently sanctioned for her role as executive president of GAESA. Rubio's office revealed that Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, as a senior executive, manages international assets allegedly used to fund the lavish lifestyles of the Castro-era elite and support efforts tied to broader ideological influence abroad.
The worsening conditions inside Cuba, including widespread blackouts and severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine, have been highlighted by Rubio as evidence that GAESA is diverting resources away from basic needs under the communist system. He argued that the conglomerate's ill-gotten riches are not spent on repairing the collapsing power grid, stocking empty pharmacies, or feeding hungry families, but instead are used to enrich Havana's elites and underwrite their ongoing campaign of espionage and subversion.
