U.S.–Mexico Relations

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed Tuesday that state oil company Pemex has at least temporarily suspended crude shipments to Cuba, a key lifeline for the island’s energy‑starved economy, while insisting the move is a "sovereign" business decision and not a response to U.S. pressure. Her comments come as President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to isolate Havana, declares that Cuba will receive no more Venezuelan oil after the U.S. raid that deposed Nicolás Maduro, and privately presses Mexico to distance itself from the Cuban government even though U.S. officials have not publicly demanded an embargo on Mexican shipments. Pemex reported sending nearly 20,000 barrels per day to Cuba through Sept. 30, 2025, a flow that outside tracking by University of Texas analyst Jorge Piñon says had already fallen to about 7,000 barrels per day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Mexico City. Sheinbaum, who has been promising but has yet to release detailed export data, framed the suspension much like last week’s transfer of dozens of cartel suspects to U.S. custody—as a Mexican decision taken "autonomously" while signaling continued political solidarity with Havana without specifying what form that support will now take. On the ground in Cuba, NPR notes that already‑common gasoline lines lengthened as drivers queued for hours and debated whether Mexico’s pause and U.S. pressure portend a deeper fuel crisis on the island.

Following the U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and disrupted Caracas’ oil lifeline to Cuba, Mexico has quietly emerged as Havana’s top crude supplier, reportedly providing about 13,000 barrels per day, or 44% of Cuba’s 2025 imports. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, the only Cuban‑born member of Congress, is urging the Trump administration and Congress to use July’s United States‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement (USMCA) review to pressure Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to cut off those flows, arguing that Mexico is now "trying to prop" a weakened Cuban regime. The article says the Trump administration is also considering a maritime blockade on oil shipments to Cuba, an escalation from its earlier focus on Venezuelan exports that analysts warn could trigger an acute economic crisis on the island. Heritage Foundation analyst Andres Martinez‑Fernandez adds that Cuba–Mexico ties deepened under Sheinbaum’s predecessor and now include a controversial Cuban medical‑worker program he characterizes as "forced slavery for revenue," another potential pressure point for Washington. Together, these moves signal a shift in U.S. strategy from squeezing Cuba via Venezuela to confronting a major U.S. trade partner over its role in keeping the Díaz‑Canel government afloat, with obvious implications for regional stability, migration, and U.S.–Mexico relations.