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The United States Southern Command published an image on Friday of an AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit taking off from the amphibious ship USS Fort Lauderdale in the Caribbean Sea, as part of the Southern Spear Operation, during a period of heightened tension between Washington and Havana.
The photograph, taken on May 4, 2026, was shared with a message reaffirming that the military forces deployed in the area of responsibility of Southern Command "are supporting Operation Southern Spear, operations led by the Department of War and the president's priority of disrupting illicit drug trafficking and protecting the homeland."
On the same May 4th, U.S. Southern Command carried out a lethal kinetic strike in the Caribbean against a vessel operated by organizations designated as terrorists, resulting in three fatalities.
The publication comes at the peak of an unprecedented diplomatic and military escalation in decades.
Last Monday, Politico revealed that Southern Command had convened a "planning series" for possible military contingency scenarios against Cuba, although it clarified that no decision has been made and no imminent action is expected.
A White House official quoted by that outlet stated that "the role of the Pentagon is to provide the president with the maximum capacity of options."
On Wednesday, the Miami Herald reported that the Trump administration would be "building a case" for possible military action against Cuba if diplomacy and sanctions do not bring about changes.
Last Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted on Fox News that Cuba "will be given a chance," but expressed doubt that the regime's leadership can change the country's trajectory.
On Thursday, the head of Southern Command met with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth amid rising tensions, as Russia accused the United States of preparing a military intervention and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused Rubio of instigating an aggression against the island.
Last Wednesday, coinciding with Cuba's Independence Day, the Southern Command announced the arrival of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group in the Caribbean as part of the Southern Seas 2026 exercise.
The deployment of the USS Fort Lauderdale and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Caribbean responds to a sustained pattern since August 2025, when the continuous presence of amphibious forces in the region began.
The Southern Spear Operation, officially launched between September and November 2025 with the declared objective of "detecting, disrupting, and degrading transnational and illicit maritime criminal networks," had accumulated at least 190 dead in dozens of kinetic attacks by early May 2026.
In parallel, the Trump administration has imposed more than 240 sanctions against Cuba since January 2026, intercepted at least seven tankers carrying oil destined for the island, and signed an executive order on May 1 that expands restrictions in energy, defense, mining, and financial services.
According to reports, these measures are believed to have reduced Cuban energy imports by between 80% and 90%, contributing to blackouts of up to 25 hours a day in over 55% of the Cuban territory.
The publication by Southern Command this Friday—showing activity from May 4—comes at a time of heightened pressure on the regime, giving it a strategic signaling dimension that goes beyond its stated operational role against drug trafficking.
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