The United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, confirmed this Wednesday that a capture or eliminate operation against Miguel Díaz-Canel remains an option on the table, while responding to press inquiries at the Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
The journalist and activist Laura Loomer directly asked if an operation similar to the one carried out against Maduro in Venezuela could be applied to the Cuban leader.
Hegseth responded straightforwardly: "Options, options, options. Our job is to present options at different levels, depending on what the President of the United States wants to do, who is the commander in chief."
When asked directly whether the capture or elimination of Díaz-Canel was still an option, the Secretary of War did not rule anything out.
"We have options for every scenario. That's our job. We literally focus on planning. Besides the Pentagon, no one plans better than the United States Central Command."
The final decision rests with Trump
"All those options are on the table. The president expects us to act with firmness and determination in our response. And to bring firepower. And we will undoubtedly do so if necessary," warned the Secretary of War.
The statements came after Hegseth visited the Guantanamo Naval Base, where he issued a series of direct warnings to the Cuban regime and proclaimed the so-called "Donroe Doctrine," an update of the Monroe Doctrine that, in his words, aims to "reclaim the hemisphere" for Washington.
In Guantánamo, Hegseth invoked the Operation Absolute Resolve from January 3, 2026, in which U.S. special forces captured Nicolás Maduro in Caracas.
He issued a clear warning to the regime in Havana: "The Russian air defenses and the Cuban guards were no match for our operators, our Rangers."
The secretary also warned that it would be "unwise" for Cuba to attempt to acquire weaponry capable of reaching the base or the continental territory of the United States, as it would be "inviting a confrontation that they not only do not desire but also could not withstand."
This rhetorical escalation is set against the backdrop of a crisis that intensified in May 2026, when Axios reported that Cuba may have acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023, with possible plans to use them against Guantanamo, Navy ships, and targets in Florida.
In response, the Trump administration deployed the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier in the Caribbean on May 20 and tasked Southern Command with developing military action scenarios against the island, ranging from limited airstrikes to a ground intervention.
From Havana, Díaz-Canel stated that Washington is managing three scenarios against Cuba: provoking a social outbreak, forcing a coercive dialogue, or executing direct military aggression, and warned that invading the island would result in a "bloodbath of incalculable consequences."
Hegseth, however, also left a diplomatic door open: "We are not seeking enemies. We are a great friend. And we hope that soon we can also be friends with the leadership of the Cuban government. For now, we will see what happens."
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