The Republican congresswoman María Elvira Salazar issued a direct warning to the Cuban regime regarding more than 300 military drones that, according to classified intelligence, Havana has reportedly acquired from Russia and Iran since 2023, and stated emphatically: "Let the Cubans understand not to use them, because if they do... it means they are not that foolish."
In statements to NTN 24, Salazar downplayed the actual tactical capability of the arsenal by calling it a "paper tiger," but made it clear that the regime is fully aware of the consequences of using that weaponry against U.S. interests.
He also addressed the indictment announced this Wednesday against Raúl Castro for ordering the downing of two planes from Hermanos al Rescate on February 24, 1996, in which four Cuban Americans died.
"It was long overdue to bring him to American justice, but now Donald Trump is in the White House, and their time has come," stated the politician of Cuban descent.
Although he dismissed the idea that the dictator would end up behind bars—"they are much more intelligent than Maduro was"—Salazar urged the Castros to read the signals from the White House and voluntarily relinquish power.
"Let them go to another country where they have no relevance to the future Cuba, and in that future Cuba, all of us Cubans should come together to make Cuba like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan," he stated.
The statements come during a week of intense pressure from the Trump administration on Havana.
On May 17, Axios revealed that Cuba may have acquired over 300 military drones for attack from Russia and Iran, stored in strategic locations across the island, with plans discussed to deploy them against the Guantanamo naval base, U.S. military ships, and possibly Key West, just 90 miles from Havana.
The Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed before Congress that Cuba poses a threat to national security.
U.S. officials estimate that up to 5,000 Cuban soldiers have fought for Russia in Ukraine, with Moscow paying around $25,000 for each one, and that some have shared drone warfare knowledge with military leaders in Havana.
The regime responded with defensive rhetoric. The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that "if Cuba is attacked, it will exercise its right to legitimate defense," without denying at any point the existence of the drones.
The day before, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against 11 elites of the regime and three organizations - the DGI/G2, the MININT, and the National Revolutionary Police - under Executive Order 14404 signed on May 1, 2026. Since January of that year, the U.S. has imposed over 240 sanctions against the regime.
Salazar concluded his statements with a demand for uncompromising justice: "There is no peace without justice. Nuremberg trials for everyone who was in Villa Marista and for all those who have oppressed that poor town for so many years."
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