US Congressmen Criticize Jay-Z and Beyoncé's Trip to Havana

To celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary, pop music royals Beyoncé and Jay-Z traveled to Havana for some rest and relaxation. They were thronged by fans while exploring Havana, as expected. What they probably didn't expect was U.S. Congress members criticizing their trip and exploring possible penalties. A trade embargo enacted in 1960 prohibits Americans from traveling to Cuba without a license.

On Friday, Republican Congressmen representing south Florida sent a joint letter to Adam Szubin, director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, asking for "information regarding the type of license that Beyoncé and Jay-Z received, for what purpose, and who approved such travel."

The letter also said, "The restrictions on tourism travel are common-sense measures meant to prevent US dollars from supporting a murderous regime that opposes US security interests at every turn and which ruthlessly suppresses the most basic liberties of speech, assembly and belief."

The U.S. State Department is claiming it had no knowledge of the trip. The couple could face a fine if they did not get a license, although the Obama administration has loosened restrictions on travel for academic, religious or cultural exchanges.

On the bright side, the pair link in the Cuban capital, with Beyoncé in a yellow frock, her braided hair swooped up in a beehive, and Jay-Z smoking a cigar as they strolled through Havana's tourist spots.