Pentagon is ramping up planning for possible Cuba operation – USA Today

Military planning for a possible Pentagon-led operation in Cuba is quietly ramping up in case President Trump gives the order to intervene, according to USA Today. The reported planning follows months of growing pressure on the island from the Trump administration and repeated comments from Trump about Cuba’s collapse.

USA Today reported Wednesday that the preparations are underway, citing two sources familiar with the order who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

In a statement to the outlet, the Pentagon said it plans for a range of contingencies and remains prepared to carry out the president’s orders as directed.

Pressure has been building since January, when the Trump administration curbed oil shipments to Cuba as part of a broader effort to force political change or reach a deal with the island.

Trump has repeatedly signaled that Cuba could be a target of U.S. action. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One last week, he said Cuba would fail “within a short period of time” and added: “We’ll be there to help it out.”

He has made similar remarks in recent weeks, saying he believed he would have “the honor of taking Cuba” and describing the island as a “failed nation.”

Those comments have come as Cuba faces a deep economic and energy crisis, with fuel shortages and blackouts across the island. The Trump administration has also threatened hefty tariffs on countries that export oil to Cuba, adding to pressure on Havana.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused the United States last month of openly threatening to overthrow Cuba’s constitutional order by force.

“The United States publicly threatens Cuba, almost daily, with overthrowing the constitutional order by force,” Díaz-Canel said in a statement. “Any external aggressor will run into unbreakable resistance.”