In a stark warning, former President Donald Trump has suggested that Cuba could be the next target after U.S. military forces captured Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, during a raid in January. Following this operation, the Trump administration intensified its pressure on Cuba, implementing an oil blockade, stationing warships in the Caribbean, and bringing federal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro.
General Francis Donovan, who heads the U.S. Southern Command, recently engaged in discussions with Lieutenant General Roberto Legrá Sotolongo and other Cuban military officials.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba released a statement describing the meeting as constructive, noting that both parties appreciated the discussion on security concerns around the military zone. They also agreed to maintain open lines of communication between their military commands.
High-ranking officials from Trump’s administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, have been involved in dialogues with Cuban representatives to assess possibilities for improved relations.
However, the outcome of these talks left the U.S. officials dissatisfied, prompting the administration to levy additional sanctions against the Cuban government.
Besides the meeting, Donovan also assessed the security of the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay and discussed the “safety of service members and their families, and operational readiness with base officials,” US Southern Command said in a post on X.
The US maintains the base despite decades of friction with Cuba’s socialist leaders, whom Trump wants removed from power.
The US military has a handful of Navy ships, including at least one amphibious assault ship, in the Caribbean, a much smaller force than was present at the time of the Maduro raid.
On Friday, the Pentagon announced that a new unit of 1300 sailors and Marines would be replacing the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which deployed to the region last summer.