Report: CIA Establishes Secret Team to Increase Pressure on Cuba
The New York Times reveals the Trump administration's secret plan to create cracks in Cuba's political leadership through agent recruitment and influence operations.
The CIA has established a new secret team designed to exert additional pressure on the regime in Cuba. The team's goal is to replace anti-American elements within the regime with more pragmatic leaders willing to meet Donald Trump's demands. Simultaneously, US intelligence agencies have intensified collection efforts in Cuba.
White House advisors estimate that toppling the Cuban regime may become feasible following the conclusion of the campaign against Iran. As reported by The New York Times, the CIA has formed a dedicated secret unit to coordinate an intensive campaign aimed at pressuring the Cuban government to implement the economic, political, and regime changes demanded by President Donald Trump.
As part of these efforts, the CIA has begun directing financial resources, personnel, and additional technological assets toward Cuba. The agency has reinforced its ranks with intelligence officers specializing in agent recruitment, cyber personnel, and experts in covert influence operations. Sources speaking to the American newspaper clarified that the unit's objective is to create fissures within Cuba's political leadership, hoping to increase pressure to replace hardline, anti-American elements with more pragmatic figures.
In parallel, CIA personnel are attempting to obtain internal intelligence regarding the activities of Cuban leaders, with a focus on tracking secret transactions. The agency may eventually release some of this information to the public to influence both the Cuban leadership and public opinion. These actions occur alongside increased efforts by other US intelligence agencies to gain a more accurate picture of the situation inside Cuba.
According to The New York Times, the intelligence gathered will assist the US military in updating its contingency plans for potential military action, should Trump choose that path. Previously, US military and intelligence officers had complained that their information regarding Cuba's military capabilities and defense systems was outdated.
Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, told the American newspaper that these intentions are not surprising, as Cuba has been a target of CIA espionage, subversion, and destabilization efforts for years. He argued that the US State Department is attempting to frame Cuba as a threat simply because it is exercising its right to legitimate self-defense.
In May, against a backdrop of rising tensions, Trump sent CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Havana to meet with senior Cuban officials. Ratcliffe conveyed a message that the CIA views them as a worthy rival and even a potential future partner, but made it clear that the window for fundamental change is closing, hinting that if Cuba fails to seize the opportunity, it could become the next Venezuela.
According to sources familiar with White House discussions, the Trump administration's success in toppling Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro led some advisors to believe the current Cuban government could fall before the US midterm elections in November. However, despite harsh American sanctions that have crippled the Cuban economy, the regime has proven resilient, leading those same advisors to admit that regime change may only be possible after the campaign against Iran concludes.
