A Miami court has ruled that four Florida-based cruise lines must pay more than US$400 million in damages for use of port piers in Havana that were expropriated by Fidel Castro in 1960.

The Miami Herald says the ruling was the first under a law that punishes '"trafficking in stolen property" in Cuba.

In March 2022, Judge Beth Bloom ruled that several cruise companies with ties to South Florida took part in "prohibited tourism" by carrying passengers to Cuba and profiting from the use of the port facilities in Havana.

According to court documents, Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and MSC Cruise earned at least US$1 billion between 2015 and 2019, when cruise travel from the U.S. to Cuba was allowed.

Havana Docks, a company that held a concession to operate the Port of Havana prior to the Cuban revolution, filed lawsuits against the four cruise lines for their use of the port. The company says Cuba never compensated it for the takeover of the property.

The Judge ruled that by using the terminal, or one of its piers, the cruise lines "committed trafficking acts."

VOA News reports that Norwegian Cruise Line alone has been ordered to pay over US$110 million in damages.

The cruise lines are expected to appeal the ruling.