Trump returns to 50-yard warship plan as Rubio invites Cubans to contact CIA

The United States has revived a plan to send warships close to the Cuban coast and has publicly invited islanders to establish secret ties with the CIA. This dual approach combines naval signaling with direct recruitment, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between Washington and Havana.

President Donald Trump first discussed the idea of a naval stopover earlier this year but had not mentioned it in recent months. He brought the topic back on Friday during a rally in south Florida for candidates ahead of the midterm elections. A member of the crowd shouted a question about Cuba, prompting the President to respond that American ships returning from the Iran war would make a brief halt. "We'll do a little stopover," Trump said. He described one ship stopping about 50 yards off the coast, where sailors would raise their hands. He claimed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would then be sent in to "finish up the deal."

Shortly after the rally, Rubio posted a message on social media addressed to those seeking positive change. He pointed to corruption and unfulfilled promises as reasons for action. He encouraged Cubans to seize the opportunity to create change through a "discrete partnership with the CIA." Rubio, whose parents left Cuba before the socialist revolution, used the word "discrete" when he likely meant "discreet," implying a private or secret arrangement rather than a separate one.

Havana reacted with mockery. Cuban deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio wrote on X that the US was "resorting to public recruitment for the CIA." He added that the agency must be experiencing desperation or misery if it had to "sell its services like a tube of toothpaste."

The administration has maintained an aggressive posture toward the island. In May, Trump and Rubio raised the prospect of military action, a threat that gained weight after the US announced criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that while previous presidents had considered intervention for decades, "it looks like I'll be the one that does it." Rubio argued that Cuba had long been a national security threat due to its ties to US adversaries. He stated that the administration wanted a peaceful resolution but doubted it could be reached with the current government.

Diplomatic efforts have been inconsistent. Rubio and other senior aides met with Cuban officials in recent months to explore better relations, but the US side expressed dissatisfaction, leading to additional sanctions. In his speech to the UN general assembly last month, Trump said Rubio was "deep into negotiations with Cuba." Days later, he told reporters he expected a deal and did not think military force would be needed. Earlier this week, however, the two governments clashed at the UN as Washington sought to build opposition to an annual vote condemning the US economic embargo.

Cuba has faced an economic and energy crisis since 2020. Its gross domestic product has shrunk, and its 10 million residents have endured blackouts, food shortages, and inflation. Waves of protests have occurred, and hundreds of thousands of Cubans have emigrated, many to the United States. The next step in the US strategy involves the scheduled return of naval vessels from the Middle East, where the stopover is expected to take place.

Rubio last addressed Cuba in depth on 29 September in an interview with Sean Hannity. He said "Cuba has already fallen," describing a country without a functional economy. He voiced hope that Cuba would choose a different path and said the US would never allow it to become a base of operations against American interests. He did not mention any CIA operation at that time.