Three political prisoners have been released from prison in Cuba.

The three men are reportedly among the 53 people the United States (U.S.) government categorized as political prisoners and in efforts to normalize diplomatic relations between the two countries. The U.S., however, did not confirm if the three individuals are part of the agreement.

The Cuban government released 19-year-old twin brother Vargas Martin and Bianco Vargas Martin on Jan. 7, according to opposition activists, via The Guardian. The brothers were detained by Cuban authorities in December 2012 and sentenced to 30 months in prison for threatening a state official and disorderly conduct. Opposition activists said a third prisoner was released. The individual, Enrique Figuerola Miranda, was freed and is a member of the opposition organization Patriotic Union of Cuba.

The three men's release comes as a congressional aide claimed Cuba has been resisting the release of "several" prisoners from the 53 political prisoners names provided by U.S. officials.

The U.S. State Department dismissed the claims from the "anonymous" congressional aide, according to spokesperson Jen Psaki.

"We understand many in Congress and elsewhere in Washington and across the country feel very strongly about our Cuba policy. That's why we're going to have a discussion about it with members and why that's ongoing now. We continue to believe that this was the right policy and the right change, not just for the Cuban people but for the United States, our relationships in the region, and to provide new economic opportunities in the region as well," Psaki said.

The State Department spokesperson said the U.S. "fully expect" the Cuban government to release all 53 prisoners. Psaki acknowledged some of the 53 prisoners have been released, but the State Department has not heard anything different from the Cuban government.

"They (Cuba) have committed to releasing the 53, we believe they will, and we're encouraging them to do that rapidly," Psaki said, although she would not announce a timeline about when all prisoners would be released.

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As Latin Post reported, a senior Obama administration official said, "These (53 prisoners) are individuals that we believe are political prisoners, and we welcome very much their release. A number of those individuals have already been released, and we expect to continue to see those releases going forward."

The names of the 53 prisoners were not disclosed, but the senior Obama administration official noted each individual's case were brought to the attention of Cuba.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest has said the Obama administration is not in a position "to talk about specific numbers" and is cautious about who the 53 prisoners are. Earnest said, "[We] don't want to put an even bigger target on their back as political dissidents."

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