by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:06 PM ET, Mon November 19, 2018
The United States Department of State announced last week that it had added 16 hotels located in Cuba to its list of restricted entities.
According to the State Department's website, officials added 26 tourism-related establishments to its sanction list, including 16 hotels owned by the Cuban military, and updated the names of five banned venues already listed in a previous advisory.
The American government is banning travelers from visiting the restricted sites, such as the new five-star Iberostar Grand Packard and Havana Paseo del Prado hotels, as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to prevent funds from reaching the Cuban military, intelligence and security services.
The State Department said the restrictions were put in place "because they would disproportionately benefit those services or personnel at the expense of the Cuban people or private enterprise in Cuba."
While tension remains between the U.S. and Cuban government over a series of believed attacks on American diplomats working on the island in previous years, Cuba has reportedly continued to cooperate with the investigation.
The sanctions are expected to be a blow to Cuba's tourism industry despite Americans still being permitted to travel to the island nation.
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