Donald Trump’s military is positioning battlefield surgeons, military police and combat engineers for a possible operation against Cuba within the next four months.
US Army Reserve headquarters sent an internal request last week asking subordinate commands whether they could make six types of units available to Southern Command, the military headquarters responsible for US forces across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Although the memo does not name Cuba, several US officials said the planning is specifically focused on the communist island, according to CBS News, which obtained the document.
The units could be “possibly [be] needed in 90-120 days,” the memo says, creating a potential deployment window around Christmas. Military commands were instructed to respond by Friday.
The requested forces include a forward resuscitative and surgical detachment — a small medical team that provides emergency surgery and trauma care to wounded service members near the battlefield.
The message does not indicate that any units have received deployment orders. It also provides no details about the number of troops required, their possible destination or the operation they might support.
Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that Cuba’s communist government “will fall” and that “freedom will be coming,” following the reported capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by US special forces in Caracas in January.
Cuba’s delegation walked out of the chamber as the president delivered the veiled warning. Trump also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “deep into negotiations” with Havana.
Donald Trump holds a meeting in the Situation Room at the White House in Washington on June 21, 2025
Cuban soldiers participate in the Torchlight March marking the 173rd anniversary of national hero Jose Marti, a leader of Cuba’s independence from Spain and founder of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, in Havana on January 27
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel waves the national flag during celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion and the declaration of the Cuban Revolution’s socialist character in Havana on April 16
Hegseth visits Guantanamo Bay in February
The request also includes a medical brigade to oversee units in the field, along with a military police brigade responsible for missions such as security, detention and law enforcement.
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The list further names an engineer battalion, a logistics battalion handling transportation, fuel, maintenance and supplies, and an expeditionary sustainment command responsible for coordinating logistics across an entire theater of operations.
A Southern Command spokesperson said: “Due to operational security concerns, we do not disclose details or comment on US operational movements or potential deployment timelines associated with current or future operations, contingencies, or planning.
“However, US Southern Command continuously coordinates with the Joint Force to assess a range of potential requirements across its [area of responsibility] in support of assigned missions.”
The reported preparations come as Trump advances what officials have dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine” — an aggressive strategy aimed at pushing US adversaries out of the country’s regional sphere of influence.
Days before his UN address, the administration imposed new sanctions on Cuban officials and entities, including military-linked companies connected to the island’s nickel industry.
In March, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he believed he would have “the honor of taking Cuba.”
US special forces reportedly captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Caracas in January
The Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, part of the Russian naval detachment visiting Cuba, arrives at Havana’s harbor, June 12, 2024
‘Taking Cuba in some form, yeah,’ he said. ‘I think I could do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth.’ Later that month, he declared: ‘Cuba’s going to be next.’
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has vowed to fight back against any US attack and accused Washington of ‘aggression’ and ‘economic warfare’ for choking off the island’s oil imports.
Military planners have also examined an air assault on the island by thousands of troops from the 101st Airborne Division, the only unit trained for the task, CBS News reported in July. Officials emphasized no decision had been made.
Another US military operation may seem far-fetched with conflicts raging in Iran and Ukraine, but Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has admitted his government is also prepared for a US invasion.
‘I think you have a responsibility in these roles to look at extreme tail risk,’ Carney, 61, told the New York Times on Wednesday. ‘That’s just risk management. That’s not a base case, but it would be irresponsible not to.’