The Pentagon has been positioning troops and weapons in the Caribbean for months to launch a military attack against Cuba, and the only thing left is the final approval from President Donald Trump, according to a report published this Wednesday by Politico, authored by journalist Paul McLeary.
The U.S. naval presence in the region is the largest in the world outside of the Middle East and would allow for immediate action, with options ranging from precision strikes to the capture of the ruling leadership in Havana, in a scenario comparable to the arrest of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in January 2026.
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, made it clear this Wednesday during a cabinet meeting: “Cuba is in serious trouble”. Having a failed state just 145 kilometers from our shores poses a threat to the national security of the United States.
The attack group of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier entered the Caribbean on May 20, along with several destroyers and guided missile cruisers capable of launching precision missiles against land targets.
Significantly, the Nimitz arrived in the region on the same day that the U.S. formally accused former dictator Raúl Castro of ordering the shooting down of two planes from Brothers to the Rescue in 1996, which analysts interpreted as a show of strength.
Mark Cancian, a former Pentagon official and senior analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was direct about the role of the aircraft carrier: "The Nimitz is likely there mainly to intimidate, although it could be used in a military operation if necessary."
Cancian also detailed the possible objectives: "It is possible to carry out airstrikes to neutralize their air defenses and thus enable broader aerial operations, or perhaps to eliminate their leadership with the idea of establishing a relationship similar to the one we have with Venezuela. Raúl Castro would be their primary target."
In addition to the Nimitz, drones and advanced surveillance aircraft have been flying over Cuba for months, according to flight tracking websites. The USS Kearsarge, with 2,500 Marines onboard, is off the coast of Virginia preparing for a new deployment to the Caribbean.
From Puerto Rico, the signals point in the same direction. Brigadier General Arthur Garffer, the island's Secretary of Public Security, announced yesterday a significant increase in American military presence in the coming weeks and stated firmly: "I believe we may be witnessing the possible end of the Cuban communist dictatorial regime in the upcoming weeks."
Garffer also compared the current situation to the buildup prior to the intervention in Venezuela and warned that "Puerto Rico will be extremely active at all times, as we were before the buildup to Venezuela."
However, the administration is facing real-time pressure: many of the largest vessels have been at sea for almost ten months, well beyond the usual six or seven months, raising concerns about crew burnout.
A defense official who requested anonymity warned, "These prolonged and consecutive deployments will accumulate over time. Keeping them there for such a long period creates more long-term problems when it comes to refurbishing and repairing those vessels once they return home."
The USS Nimitz, which was to be its final deployment after 50 years of service, has had its operational life extended until 2027. The amphibious ships USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort Lauderdale, deployed in the Caribbean since the summer of 2025, will return to Norfolk next week, as announced by the Marine Corps this Wednesday.
Joe Plenzler, a retired Marine Corps officer, summarized the human toll that the situation entails: "One enlists not expecting an easy life; they know that any deployment comes with uncertainty. But extending deployments in this way, when everything seems so undefined, starts to affect personnel retention."
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