The United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, delivered a direct warning speech to the Cuban regime from Guantanamo Bay, using the capture of Nicolás Maduro as an example of what happens when someone challenges Washington.
In his address to U.S. troops in Guantánamo, Hegseth detailed the operation that overthrew Maduro and delivered an unmistakable message: "Look at Venezuela and Nicolás Maduro, who thought he could challenge the United States of America. And he discovered the reality in about 45 minutes, in the middle of the night."
The official reported that the operation took place within the "most fortified complex of their most fortified base, in the heart of their capital," and emphasized that neither Russian air defenses nor the Cuban guards protecting the Venezuelan dictator could withstand the assault: "The Cuban guards. They were no match for our operators, our Rangers, and all those who carry out extraordinary missions."
The reference to the Cuban guards is significant. During the Operation Absolute Resolve on January 3, 2026, at least 32 Cuban guards who were part of Maduro's security detail were killed in Caracas, including a colonel later identified.
The Venezuelan regime paid tribute to the fallen Cubans on January 6, 2026, while General Vladimir Padrino accused the United States of having "cold-bloodedly murdered" the security team.
Hegseth also emphasized that from that operation emerged a Medal of Honor, awarded on February 25, 2026, to pilot Eric Slover, who piloted a CH-47 Chinook helicopter and was injured during the mission: "What that pilot did to keep his men safe while landing the aircraft and ensuring its return safely was worthy of the history books."
The speech was framed within the so-called "Donroe Doctrine," the corollary that the Trump administration has added to the historic Monroe Doctrine: "The Monroe Doctrine is not only alive; the Roosevelt Corollary is not only still relevant, but now we have the Donroe Doctrine. The Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine," Hegseth stated.
Under that ideological umbrella, the secretary mentioned the Panama Canal as a key strategic ground and declared that the United States is working to ensure that "no foreign adversary can control it."
Hegseth also issued a direct warning to the drug traffickers operating in the region: "I wouldn't get on a drug boat in the Caribbean or the Eastern Pacific right now. We are hunting them down like we hunted Al Qaeda and ISIS."
The visit to Guantánamo occurs in a context of maximum pressure on Havana. In May 2026, Trump threatened to send an aircraft carrier to the Cuban coast to force political changes, and warned that he will not tolerate Cuba as a state that hosts hostile military operations.
After his time in Guantanamo, Hegseth moved to Tampa, Florida, to meet with leaders of Central Command. Before departing, he stated that the Department of War would be "prepared and positioned for any possible contingency" related to Cuba.
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