Trump Warns of Direct Military Action Against Cuba

The United States renewed direct threats of possible military intervention against Cuba on Thursday, with President Donald Trump declaring he would be the one to take action that previous administrations had only considered for decades. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the tough stance, saying Washington prefers a diplomatic solution but believes the chances of a negotiated settlement with Cuba's communist government are "not high." The threats came one day after the US Justice Department announced criminal charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro for his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft by Cuban fighter jets, when he served as defense minister. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who has long advocated for a hard line against Havana, described Cuba as a national security threat due to its security and intelligence ties with China and Russia. He emphasized that the administration is "very serious" and "very focused," stating that Cuba will not be able to "wait us out or buy time." The Pentagon announced the deployment of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and escort warships to the Caribbean for maritime exercises with regional partners, though Trump denied the exercises were meant to intimidate Cuba. Earlier this month, the administration imposed sweeping new sanctions on GAESA, the military-run business conglomerate that controls much of Cuba's economy, and Rubio announced that Adys Lastres Morera, the sister of a GAESA executive, had her green card revoked and is now in immigration custody. The escalating US pressure has left Cubans facing severe economic hardship, including daily blackouts lasting up to 20 hours, food and water shortages, and runaway inflation. Many experts see the approach as following the same playbook used against Venezuela, where US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro in a January military operation. China and Russia have condemned US actions against Cuba, with Beijing's foreign ministry expressing firm support for Cuba's sovereignty and opposing external interference. Castro, who turns 95 next month, remains in Cuba and the administration has not disclosed how it would implement his arrest.