Miami-Dade revokes licenses over unauthorized business with Cuba

Miami-Dade County has revoked occupational licenses and local business tax receipts from companies it says were doing unauthorized business with Cuba, a sweep that has reached more than two dozen businesses and triggered nearly 4,000 compliance notices.

Dariel Fernandez, the county tax collector leading the effort, said businesses that failed to demonstrate lawful federal authorization are no longer permitted to operate in Miami-Dade County. He framed the action as a crackdown on commerce that can help sustain the Cuban government, saying his office will not allow Miami-Dade to be used to finance or sustain the Cuban regime.

The county says the campaign began on Oct. 1, 2025, after a careful and methodical review over the prior year. County records show the office relied on compliance notices before moving to revocations, including a Nov. 5, 2025 letter from attorneys for Cubamax Travel, Inc. responding to an Oct. 30 notice. In that letter, Cubamax said it was providing goods and services to Cuba in compliance with the Cuban Assets Control Regulations in 31 CFR Part 515 and Section 742 of the Export Administration Regulations. County documents also reference Bijoux M&P LLC and Inter Services Corp.

The enforcement rests on a long-standing Miami-Dade policy, not a new ordinance. Administrative Order No. 3-13, effective July 29, 1993, says the tax collector has a ministerial duty to revoke or refuse to renew occupational licenses for entities doing business with or related to Cuba in violation of federal law. In county materials, the office has also said the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security is reviewing active export licenses to Cuba and rescinding authorizations for luxury goods.

Miami-Dade’s use of local licensing authority makes the county a player in an area usually associated with federal policy. The U.S. embargo and sanctions regime remain a charged issue in Miami, where Cuban exile politics still shape public debate, business pressure and the meaning of any local action touching Cuba. The county’s approach has now moved beyond one-off revocations: separate reports said the office had already revoked key licenses for more than two dozen companies, with notices sent to nearly 4,000 businesses in the broader enforcement sweep.