President Joe Biden said on Thursday that new U.S. sanctions on Cuba target those responsible for a crackdown on protesters and that they are only the first step in the American response.

"I unequivocally condemn the mass detentions and sham trials that are unjustly sentencing to prison those who dared to speak out in an effort to intimidate and threaten the Cuban people into silence," Biden said in a statement.

"This is just the beginning – the United States will continue to sanction individuals responsible for oppression of the Cuban people," Biden said.

The United States is reviewing its remittance policy to "maximize support to the Cuban people," Biden said.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced in a press release that it was designating defense minister Alvaro Lopez Miera,  as well as the National Special Brigade of the Ministry of the Interior — known as the Boinas Negras or the "black berets" — "in connection with the repression of peaceful, pro-democratic protests in Cuba that began on July 11."

"The Cuban people are protesting for the fundamental and universal rights they deserve from their government," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. "Treasury will continue to enforce its Cuba-related sanctions, including those imposed today, to support the people of Cuba in their quest for democracy and relief from the Cuban regime."

Washington is also committed to restaffing the U.S. Embassy in Havana to provide consular services and engage in civil society "while ensuring the safety of U.S. diplomats serving in Cuba," Biden said.

He said the United States is working with regional partners to pressure the Cuban government to release political prisoners and restore internet access.

This report contains material from Reuters.