Department of Homeland and Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said three more Cuban officials connected to the country's crackdown on anti-government protesters were sanctioned by the United States on Thursday.

The said sanctions to the Cuban officials were announced by the U.S. Treasury Department and the DHS secretary himself during a meeting with Cuban Americans in Miami.

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3 More Cuban Officials Sanctioned Over Protest Crackdown

The sanctioned Cuba officials were composed of two officials from the Cuban Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces and one from the Cuban Interior Ministry.

The sanctions imposed on Cuba officials reportedly involved freezing assets and the U.S. travel ban under the Global Magnitsky Act that targets those who commit serious human rights abuses worldwide.

It was not the first time the U.S. issued sanctions on Cuban officials. On July 22, President Joe Biden announced sanctions against Alvaro Lopez Miera, minister of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces, and a special brigade in the government's intelligence ministry.

The new sanctions issued by the U.S. stay true to Biden's remarks in April, saying more sanctions will be issued to Cuban officials responsible for the "oppression of Cuban people."

The DHS Secretary announced the new round of sanctions during his meeting with Cuban Americans who are local activists and lawmakers in Miami to address the current crises in Cuba and Haiti.

Felice Gorordo, CEO of technology company eMerge Americas, said Mayorkas' audience was "diverse." Gorordo, who attended the meeting, noted that there were people who disagreed on the tactics when it comes to Cuba's policy. However, the CEO underscored that the people were "firmly united" in supporting the people in Cuba.

Cuba Passes Regulation Involving Online Content

The new roll of sanctions by the U.S. came as Cuba passed a new regulation on Tuesday that would criminalize the contents on social media or the internet that would incite protests or insult the state.

The said decree was reported to be signed by Cuba's Communication Minister Mayra Averich. It was meant to prevent, detect responses to "possible enemy, criminal, and harmful activities that could occur in cyberspace."

Meanwhile, Cuban Ministry of Communications director Pablo Domínguez Vásquez said that the new rules would empower the government regarding cybersecurity breaches. The director further noted that when the people behind the breaches were identified, they would be penalized if they are in the country.

Organizations quickly slammed the said regulation passed by the Cuban government. On Thursday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) denounced the new regulation passed by the country's government.

CPJ Latin America and Caribbean Senior researcher Ana Cristina Nuñez said the new regulation passed by Cuba shows that the government seeks to prevent the Cubans from expressing their discomfort on their country and having access to free information online.

"Cubans have the right to unfiltered and unbiased news. These regulations should be repealed immediately," Nuñez noted.

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This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Protests in Cuba: Should the Government be Worried? - From Al Jazeera English