Yahoo TV

U.S. President Joe Biden announced new sanctions on Cuba Friday, in response to the Cuban government's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

The U.S. Treasury Department said the sanctions would target two Cuban police force leaders, as well as the Cuban interior ministry's national police force.

A senior administration official said Biden has been working on a plan to provide wireless communications to Cubans and increase U.S. embassy staff in Cuba.

Biden says he's also asked the Treasury and State departments to report back on remittance payments from Americans to Cubans without profiting the Cuban government.

In a meeting with Cuban-American leaders on Friday, Biden promised more sanctions are sure to come.

"So, I want the Cuban Americans to know that we all around this table and myself included, see your pain, we hear your voices, and we hear the cries of freedom coming from the island. The United States is taking a concerted action to bolster the cause of the Cuban people."

Thousands of Cubans took to the streets this month over a worsening economic and health crisis, curbs on civil liberties, and shortages of basic goods.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has blamed the unrest on the U.S., which has tightened its decades-old trade embargo on the island in recent years.

Last week, the U.S. Treasury announced sanctions on Cuba's defense minister and an interior ministry special forces unit,

over allegations of human rights abuses in the crackdown following the protests, which saw hundreds of activists detained.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have urged more measures.