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The Guantanamo Naval Base released a new set of official photographs on Monday from the visit of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to the facility, which took place last Tuesday. In the images, he is seen training alongside troops, running in formation, and disembarking from an official plane bearing the seal of the "United States Department of War."
The images, posted on the official Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Facebook account, show Hegseth wearing athletic attire at all times: a green T-shirt with the inscription "MARINES," black shorts, and a black cap, without formal military uniform.
The official statement from the base indicates that Hegseth "interacted directly with sailors, soldiers, aviators, Marines, guards, and Coast Guard members, reinforcing a leadership style based on presence, strength, and shared purpose."
Among the photographs, one stands out, taken at the Northeast Gate of the base, from where it can be read: "REPUBLIC OF CUBA / FREE TERRITORY OF AMERICA," while the military runs in formation under flags of the United States and the Marine Corps.
Another image shows Hegseth performing bench press with 45-pound plates in facilities surrounded by concertina wire. The secretary completed 44 repetitions during training with the troops.
Today's publication comes five days after Hegseth delivered a speech to the troops in which he issued direct warnings to the regime in Havana: "It would be unwise for the Cuban government to attempt to acquire or gain access to types of weaponry capable of reaching this base or the continental territory of the United States. They would be inviting a confrontation that not only do they not want, but also could not endure."
In that same speech, Hegseth proclaimed the so-called "Monroe Doctrine" and recalled the Absolute Resolve Operation of January 3, 2026, in which U.S. special forces captured Nicolás Maduro in Caracas: "The Russian air defenses and Cuban guards were no match for our operators, our Rangers."
The next day, back at the Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, Hegseth did not rule out an operation against Díaz-Canel when directly asked about the possibility of capturing or eliminating the Cuban leader: "We have options for all scenarios. That is our job. We literally focus on planning."
The new images are set against a backdrop of escalating tensions that intensified in May, when Axios reported that Cuba might have acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023, with potential plans to use them against the base, Navy ships, and targets in Florida.
The Cuban regime's reaction to the visit was immediate. Official spokespersons expressed outrage over Hegseth's casual attire: presenter Marxlenin Valdés sarcastically remarked that he arrived "in shorts, daddy, shorts" and described the visit as "Hollywood showbiz," while Gerardo Hernández Nordelo posted a meme comparing the base to Varadero.
Cuba's representative to the UN, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, responded that Hegseth was "completely wrong" and that the future of Cuba "belongs solely and exclusively to the Cuban people and government."
Hegseth, however, left a door open: «We do not seek 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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