The State Department said Monday that it is placing additional sanctions on 11 elite members of the Cuban government in order to protect U.S. national security.

The sanctions come after Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued sanctions on the Cuban government earlier this month, including on Grupo de Administration Emprasarial (GAESA), which the State Department described as a "military-controlled umbrella enterprise" at the heart of the "kleptocratic communist system."

Rubio said Monday the latest sanctions target 11 Cuban regime elites and three government organizations, including government officials and military figures associated with Cuba’s security apparatus.

"These sanctions advance the Trump Administration’s comprehensive campaign to address the pressing national security threats posed by Cuba’s communist regime and to hold accountable both the regime and those who provide it material support," Rubio said in a statement.

"Regime-aligned actors such as those designated today bear responsibility for the suffering of the Cuban people, the failing Cuban economy, and the exploitation of Cuba for foreign intelligence, military, and terror operations," the secretary continued. "Today’s designations further restrict the Cuban regime’s ability to suppress the will of the Cuban people."

Rubio teased he would place additional sanctions against Cuba in the coming "days and weeks."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.