Statement From Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez On Standing With Federal And Local Leaders To Address Cuba-Linked Financial Lifelines

Today at PortMiami, I stood alongside Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez, Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis, Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner Ralph Rosado, Ambassador Rosa María Payá, José Daniel Ferrer, Dr. Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, and leaders of the Cuban exile community to address serious concerns regarding financial activity that may benefit entities tied to the communist, socialist dictatorship of Cuba.

As I stated during the press conference, there is a clear difference between humanitarian aid and luxury commerce. Food, medicine, and essential goods are humanitarian. Ferraris, motorcycles, jet skis, and jacuzzis are not.

Over the past year, the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector’s Office conducted a careful and methodical review of certain Cuba-related business activity within the limits of our statutory authority. During that review, public records reflected the export of high-value consumer goods and recreational equipment. Those findings raised legitimate questions in our community and warranted due diligence within our jurisdiction.

Let me be equally clear about our role. We do not issue federal export licenses. We do not administer sanctions. We do not make determinations under federal law. Those authorities fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government. We have maintained open lines of communication with our federal partners at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, including the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure that any information within our jurisdiction that may be relevant is appropriately shared. Collaboration across levels of government is essential when national security and compliance concerns intersect with local regulatory authority.

What we do have is a responsibility under Florida law to ensure that businesses operating in Miami-Dade County comply with applicable state statutes and local code, including requirements related to Local Business Tax Receipts. That responsibility includes conducting due diligence when concerns are raised and maintaining accurate public records.

In light of heightened public interest and recent federal action, our office launched a Compliance Transparency Page to centralize the records generated during our review. Transparency is not politics. It is accountability. mdctaxcollector.gov/transparency

Miami-Dade County is home to a community that understands the realities of the communist, socialist dictatorship of Cuba. Those concerns deserve to be taken seriously. At the same time, every action we take must be grounded in law, jurisdiction, and due process.

Our office will continue to conduct its work carefully, apply the law consistently, cooperate with our federal counterparts, and maintain full transparency with the public. That is our duty. And that is what we will continue to do.

Dariel Fernandez

Tax Collector 

Miami-Dade County