US Boosts Intelligence Assets in Cuba, Signalling Pressure on Regime
The United States is reported to have increased its intelligence assets in Cuba in recent months. The move forms part of the Donald Trump administration’s effort to push the communist regime on the island nation to carry out reforms or step down from power.
According to two sources familiar with the plan, the increase in intelligence activity could signal a range of future actions, from US military operations to intensive efforts to influence Cuban officials or civilians to turn against the regime.
One source said the US has recently dispatched spies and assets to Cuba. However, details on the scope of intelligence gathering or the specific agencies involved were not disclosed in order to protect the operations. Notably, the US intelligence community comprises 18 offices and agencies.
A second source described the move as an expansion of the CIA’s presence in Cuba. US intelligence activity on the island has in fact been under way for decades, but was hampered in recent years by personnel reductions triggered by the Havana Syndrome incidents.
The increased intelligence presence was described as a key tactical step that could pave the way for a possible US military incursion, although the outline of such an operation remains unclear. Cuba itself lies just 90 miles off the coast of the United States.
The Trump administration is currently engaged in a six-month conflict with Iran. However, internal sources stressed that the Iran issue does not need to be resolved before the US takes action on Cuba. The Cuba issue is reportedly a top priority for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent.
Beyond intelligence, the US is escalating economic pressure through an energy blockade that has left most of Cuba experiencing power outages. On the legal front, the Department of Justice has also indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro over a 1996 incident in which four people were killed.
The US State Department recently released a document entitled ‘Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism’, accusing the Cuban regime of various malpractices over decades. The move forms part of the broader Trump administration push against communist and socialist ideology.
Although President Trump is said to still prefer diplomacy to achieve his reform objectives, the deadlock in economic negotiations has made military action an increasingly considered option. Marco Rubio is reportedly beginning to lose patience with a Cuban regime that continues to resist Washington’s demands for major change.
To date, the CIA has declined to comment on the reported increase in assets. The White House, the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) have also yet to issue official responses. (Politico/I-2)