Politics
NEW: Pentagon Reportedly Planning Invasion Of Cuba
A new report is reviving chatter that the Pentagon is drawing up options for a possible U.S. military operation involving Cuba, even as officials publicly insist there is no active invasion planning underway.
USA Today reported Wednesday, citing anonymous “sources familiar,” that military planning for a possible Pentagon-led operation in Cuba is “quietly ramping up.” The outlet offered few specifics about what that “operation” would entail, and it did not describe it as an invasion. A defense expert quoted in the story dismissed the talk as “a lot of signaling” with little concrete evidence that any action is imminent.
The USA Today report follows similar rumors circulating on Substack, and it lands after months of President Donald Trump publicly floating the idea of stronger action against Cuba’s communist rulers. Trump has repeatedly framed Cuba as a prime target after the U.S. campaign in Iran, at times suggesting a “friendly takeover” of the island.
“In a statement to USA TODAY the Pentagon said it plans for a range of contingencies and remains prepared to execute the president’s orders as directed,” the report said.
Cuba has been under communist rule since a 1959 coup. The country’s leadership remains dominated by the Castro-era political structure, with Miguel Díaz-Canel serving as president.
Amid worsening economic conditions and rising public frustration, protests have continued to flare. The independent monitor group Cubalex said it documented about seven protests a day in Cuba throughout March, calling it a record pace since the July 11, 2021, demonstrations.
The report also notes a key wrinkle: comments last month from U.S. Southern Command’s top officer that cut against the idea the military is actively preparing an assault on Cuba. Cuban outlet Cubanet pointed to March 19 testimony by Southern Command chief Gen. Francis Donovan, who told the Senate the Pentagon was not “rehearsing an invasion” or “actively” preparing to attack Cuba.
🇺🇸🇨🇺 A U.S. Navy unmanned aerial vehicle just spent the evening doing laps over Cuba, possibly conducting a high-altitude reconnaissance mission.
Why do I get the feeling Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, is about to get the Maduro welcome? https://t.co/yAm6F7mjAV pic.twitter.com/XBaK0hHxyI
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 17, 2026
Trump, however, has continued to use provocative language about Cuba while discussing the broader Middle East conflict.
“Cuba is a failing nation, and we’re going to do this, and we may stop by Cuba after we’re finished with this,” Trump said Monday, referring to the conflict in Iran. “Cuba is a nation that was… horribly run for many years.”
The debate is also being fueled by new claims about Cuba’s role overseas. Axios reported Tuesday that the Trump administration provided Congress information accusing Cuba of aiding Russia’s war in Ukraine, and a State Department spokesperson told Axios: “The Cuban regime has failed to protect its citizens from being used as pawns in the Russia-Ukraine war.” Axios said the administration is accusing Cuba of sending 5,000 fighters; Ukrainian officials have suggested the number could be far higher.
RELATED: NEW: Cuba Suffers ‘Total Blackout’ Amid US Blockade As Communist Government Faces Collapse
In Florida, the Miami Herald published a poll Thursday finding 79 percent of Cuban Americans support U.S. military action against Cuba’s communist leadership. The poll arrived ahead of the anniversary of the Bay of Pigs operation, the failed 1961 effort by Cuban exiles trained by the U.S. to overthrow the regime.
For now, the Pentagon is not publicly embracing the rumors, and the White House has not announced any new Cuba directive. But the combination of anonymous sourcing, Trump’s escalating rhetoric and renewed focus on Cuba’s ties to U.S. adversaries is keeping the talk alive in Washington and Miami.
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