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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 the Middle East and would allow for immediate action, with options ranging from precision strikes to the capture of the ruling elite in Havana, in a scenario similar 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 strike group of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier entered the Caribbean on May 20, accompanied by several destroyers and guided missile cruisers capable of launching precision missiles at 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 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes in 1996, which analysts interpreted as a show of force.
Mark Cancian, a former Pentagon official and senior analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was straightforward about the role of the aircraft carrier: "The Nimitz is likely there primarily to intimidate, although it could be used in a military operation if necessary."
Cancian also outlined the possible objectives: "Airstrikes could be carried out to neutralize their air defenses, thereby allowing for broader air operations, or perhaps to eliminate their leadership with the aim of establishing a relationship similar to the one we have with Venezuela. Raúl Castro would be the primary target."
In addition to the Nimitz, drones and advanced surveillance aircraft have been flying over Cuba for months, according to flight tracking sites. The USS Kearsarge, with 2,500 Marines on board, 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 Secretary of Public Security of the island, forecasted yesterday a significant increase in the presence of U.S. military forces in the coming weeks and was emphatic: "I understand that we may be witnessing here possibly the end of the Cuban communist dictatorial regime in the coming weeks."
Garffer also compared the current situation with the deployment prior to the intervention in Venezuela and warned that "Puerto Rico is going to be extremely active at all times, just as we were before the build-up to Venezuela."
However, the administration is facing real-time pressure: many of the largest ships have been at sea for almost ten months, well above the usual six or seven months, raising concerns about crew overwork.
A defense official who requested anonymity warned: "These prolonged and consecutive deployments will accumulate over time. Keeping them there for so long creates more long-term issues when it comes to refurbishing and repairing those vessels once they return home."
The USS Nimitz, which was supposed to be its last 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, the Marine Corps announced this Wednesday.
Joe Plenzler, a retired Marine Corps officer, summarized the human toll of the situation: “One doesn't enlist expecting an easy life; they know that any deployment carries uncertainty. But extending deployments in this manner, when everything seems so indefinite, starts to affect personnel retention.”
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