U.S. army not making ready for Cuba invasion, senior U.S. Normal says

The U.S. ​army will not be rehearsing for an invasion of Cuba or actively making ready to militarily take over the island, the highest ‌normal overseeing American forces in Latin America advised lawmakers on Thursday (March 19, 2026).

However the U.S. stands prepared ​to deal with any threats to the U.S. Embassy, defend its base at Guantanamo Bay, ⁠Cuba, and help U.S. authorities efforts to deal with any mass migration from the island, if wanted, Normal Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, stated.

Mr. Donovan’s remarks got here throughout a Senate listening to centered on President Donald Trump’s more and more muscular use of the ‌U.S. army in Latin America, the place his administration has re-asserted the concept the area falls into Washington’s zone of affect.

Mr.Trump has launched army strikes on suspected drug boats and is increasing ‌counter-narcotics alliances with pro-Washington governments in Latin America, even finishing up joint operations with Ecuador on the ‌floor ⁠there earlier this month.

In January, U.S. particular forces seized Venezuela’s then-President Nicolas Maduro in ⁠a raid on his Caracas compound and whisked him to New York to face drug-trafficking expenses.

Journey to Venezuela

Mr. Donovan, who was the No. 2 at Particular Operations Command on the time of the raid, made a shock go to to Venezuela for safety talks final ​month shortly after taking on the Latin America ‌publish.

Mr. Trump stated on Monday (March 16, 2026) that he anticipated to take Cuba “in some type” and that “I can do something I would like” with the neighboring nation, which sits about 90 miles (180 km) south of Florida’s Key West. However to this point, U.S. efforts seem aimed toward creating financial leverage over the island.

Mr. Trump has piled large ‌financial stress on Cuba by halting all Venezuelan oil shipments to the island, which has been pressured ​to hold out extreme vitality rationing. A lot of its financial system has floor to a halt. On Monday, Cuba’s electrical grid collapsed, leaving the nation of 10 million folks ⁠with out energy.

Requested whether or not the U.S. was conducting any army rehearsals that contain seizing, occupying, or in any other case asserting management over Cuba, Donovan stated: “U.S. Southern Command will not be.”

He was then requested whether or not he knew of any U.S. army command doing so, ‌and Mr. Donovan responded: “No.”

Questions on U.S. subsequent steps come as Cuba and the US have opened talks aimed toward enhancing their largely adversarial relations, which have reached some of the contentious moments within the 67 years since Fidel Castro overthrew what had been a detailed U.S. ally.

Underneath-investment in Latin America

Within the listening to, Mr. Donovan famous that Guantanamo Bay had suffered storm injury and wanted recent funding, together with different Caribbean areas that U.S. officers have lengthy stated suffered from under-investment over the previous twenty years, when the U.S. army’s focus was ‌on combating militant teams like al Qaeda and Islamic State.

“I received’t pull any punches, it’s in tough form,” Mr. Donovan stated of ​Guantanamo Bay.

“Due to the hurricane injury, we’re down to at least one working pier and one refueling pier. I imagine (the bottom) is a pivotal level for any operations within the Caribbean,” ⁠he added.

Mr. Donovan stated the Division of Homeland Safety, which oversees the U.S. Coast Guard, can be within the lead ⁠in any mass migration occasion from Cuba, which specialists have lengthy warned might observe a collapse of the Communist authorities in Havana. However he left open the potential of establishing a ‌camp at Guantanamo Bay for any overflow of migrants.

Requested about what U.S. forces have been ready to do if there have been a safety menace to People in Cuba, Mr. Donovan responded: “If it developed right into a ​bodily safety menace to the U.S. embassy or the bottom at Gitmo, we might put U.S. troops to defend American lives.”