Mike Flynn’s Longtime Associate Registers as Foreign Agent for Cuban Government
Rhode Island congressional candidate Vic Mellor filed under FARA after meeting Raúl Castro’s grandson in Havana and agreeing to communications and social media work involving Cuban government offices
Vic Mellor, a Republican congressional candidate who has served as a longtime aide and informal chief of staff to retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act in mid-June for work involving Cuban government entities and officials.
The registration was filed on June 16, less than three weeks after Mellor traveled to Havana and attended two lengthy dinners with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson and former bodyguard of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. Rodríguez Castro has been reported to hold the rank of lieutenant colonel in Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior.
Mellor’s registration statement names three foreign principals: the “General Directorate of Personal Security,” the “Minister of Visas,” and the “Minister of America Relations.” An accompanying exhibit identifies the General Directorate of Personal Security as a Cuban government entity within the Ministry of the Interior and names Rodríguez Castro as the official with whom Mellor engaged.
The filing describes Mellor’s activities as including “providing social media strategy/content suggestions,” preparing and disseminating informational materials, and working to “bridge communication gaps between Cubans and Americans.”
Mellor reported receiving no money or other thing of value for the work through June 16. The paperwork identifies an oral agreement or understanding dated May 29, although it elsewhere states, “There is no agreement or understanding.”
Foreign Work Alongside a Congressional Campaign
Mellor’s engagement with Cuban officials comes as he campaigns for the Republican nomination in Rhode Island’s Democratic-leaning 2nd Congressional District. The Cook Political Report rates the district Solid Democratic with a D+4 partisan index.
A Woonsocket native, Mellor returned to Rhode Island after living in Florida for approximately three decades and established a residence in Warwick ahead of his campaign. His residency has since become a subject of political scrutiny.
Mellor withdrew from consideration for the Rhode Island Republican Party’s endorsement after its nominating committee recommended his opponent, Stephen Skoly. Skoly subsequently won the convention endorsement in a 44–19 vote.
Mellor’s campaign has also been overwhelmingly self-funded. Through March 31, it reported approximately $606,486 in receipts, including roughly $587,377 contributed by Mellor himself. Democratic incumbent Rep. Seth Magaziner’s campaign reported approximately $1.25 million through June 30.
Flynn’s Separate Foreign Representation
Mellor’s filing follows Flynn’s own registration for foreign representation work.
Flynn filed a short-form FARA registration in October 2025 as a consultant to RRB Strategies for work benefiting Republika Srpska, the Bosnian Serb entity. His filing listed a fee of $100,000 per month, and subsequent disclosures documented a $100,000 payment for one month of services.
The work included providing strategic advice and analysis and seeking sanctions relief connected to Milorad Dodik, the former leader of Republika Srpska and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Flynn’s disclosed foreign principal was Republika Srpska through a U.S. consulting firm. Mellor’s filing identifies Cuban government entities and officials.
Both men now operate as registered foreign agents while retaining visible roles in Republican and Trump-aligned political circles.
Mellor Casts His Role as Unpaid Outreach
Mellor told the Providence Journal that he was unpaid and acting as “a salesman for the state of Rhode Island,” seeking to position the state for potential trade opportunities if Cuba eventually “opens up for business.”
He described his role as “giving them some insight on how to do the communications with the United States government,” and clarified that when he used the word “we,” he was referring only to himself.
A State Department spokesperson told USA TODAY that Mellor “is not authorized to speak on behalf of the United States government and is not involved in anything the administration is doing.”
Contact With Castro’s Grandson Draws Scrutiny
The timing is politically sensitive. In May, the Justice Department unsealed an indictment alleging that Raúl Castro and five others were involved in the February 24, 1996, shoot-down of two Brothers to the Rescue aircraft. Four people were killed, including three U.S. citizens.
The Trump administration has also tightened sanctions on Cuba as the island faces a worsening economic and humanitarian crisis.
Mellor said he saw no conflict between his contacts with Rodríguez Castro and the indictment of the elder Castro.
“Raúl Castro, the grandfather, has been indicted,” Mellor said. “I haven’t spoken to him. I haven’t seen him. I’m speaking with Raúl Castro, the grandson.”
A Foreign Agent Running for Congress
Federal law generally prohibits Members of Congress from serving as agents of foreign principals required to register under FARA. Mellor would therefore have to terminate the relationship before serving in Congress if elected.
Mellor and Flynn are now both registered for foreign representation work, one involving communist Cuba and the other involving the Bosnian Serb government, while continuing to operate within Trump-aligned political networks.