Rep. María Elvira Salazar, U.S. Representative for Florida’s 27th congressional district, has recently used her social media platform to address concerns regarding alleged violations of the Cuban embargo and actions against drug cartels in the hemisphere.
On September 9, 2025, Salazar posted: “Hoy en el Comité de Servicios Financieros le pedí a la directora de FinCEN que investigue a compañías del sur de la Florida que estarían violando el embargo y financiando la dictadura cubana. También le pedí a la administración Trump castigar a toda empresa que ayude al régimen.” In this statement, she indicated that during a session of the House Financial Services Committee, she requested that the director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) investigate companies in South Florida suspected of violating the U.S. embargo on Cuba and supporting its government. She also called on the Trump administration to penalize any company assisting the Cuban regime.
The following day, Salazar made two posts emphasizing action against narcotics traffickers. On September 10, 2025, she wrote: “The days of narco-terrorists poisoning our streets and destabilizing our hemisphere are OVER. President Trump made the call and now we are taking the fight to the cartels, and taking them down one by one. No more excuses. No more weakness. Only strength.” Later that day, she reiterated this message in Spanish: “Se acabaron los días de los narco-terroristas envenenando nuestras calles y desestabilizando nuestro hemisferio. El presidente Trump dio la orden: vamos por los carteles, y los vamos a aplastar uno por uno. No más excusas. No más debilidad. Solo fuerza.”
Salazar’s remarks reflect ongoing U.S.-Cuba relations marked by economic sanctions intended to pressure Cuba’s government due to human rights concerns and other issues dating back decades to post-revolutionary policy changes between both countries.
Her statements about cartel activity echo persistent challenges faced by U.S., Latin American governments, and law enforcement agencies combatting transnational criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking across borders—a priority often highlighted in bilateral security discussions with regional partners.
