US certifies Cuba as "not fully cooperating country"

Cranes dot the skyline as the building of luxury hotels and the renovation of historic buildings are underway, in Havana, Cuba May 16, 2017. Picture taken May 16, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

(Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that Cuba did not fully cooperate with U.S. counterterrorism efforts in 2024 and should be certified as a "not fully cooperating country."

The State Department said in statement that there are at least 11 U.S. fugitives in Cuba, including several facing terrorism-related charges and that the Cuban regime "made clear it was not willing to discuss their return" to face justice in the United States.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago)