Hegseth warns Cuba not to acquire weapons that could reach US soil in surprise Guantanamo visit

On the ground at Guantanamo

Pete Hegseth, wearing a green T‑shirt and black shorts for physical training with troops, landed at the naval base without making public remarks upon arrival. In a speech to US forces, he delivered a blunt warning to Havana.

It would be unwise for the government of Cuba to try to procure or get access to the types of weapons that could reach this base or the American homeland.

He added that such a move would invite a confrontation Cuba could not hope to withstand, claiming "no country on Earth can match the capabilities of the United States." Hegseth also stated that the future of Cuba lies in the hands of the US president and the Cuban leadership. The visit is his second to Guantanamo as Pentagon chief and was followed by a scheduled trip to US Central Command headquarters in Tampa.

An escalating pressure campaign

The Trump administration has steadily tightened the screws on Cuba. Since January, Washington has maintained a de facto oil blockade, imposed new sanctions on Cuban enterprises and officials, and indicted former president Raúl Castro on murder charges over the 1996 downing of a civilian aircraft. These actions come on top of the decades‑old trade embargo. US officials have repeatedly signalled that regime change in Havana is a key objective, with President Trump openly threatening a “friendly takeover” if talks fail. The administration enjoys strong support from hardline Cuban Americans in Florida, a key electoral constituency.

Drone intelligence and military contacts

Behind the sharp rhetoric lie intelligence reports, first published by Axios, that Cuba has obtained more than 300 attack drones from Russia and Iran and is evaluating their use against targets including the Guantanamo base, US warships and even Key West, Florida. The report claims acquisitions began in 2023. In an unusual direct encounter late last month, US Southern Command chief General Francis Donovan met with the chief of Cuba’s general staff, Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, at the base perimeter; no details were disclosed. That meeting came after CIA director John Ratcliffe visited Havana in May, and one month after Secretary of State Marco Rubio, himself the son of Cuban immigrants, branded Cuba a “failed state” posing a national security risk just 90 miles from Florida.

Havana hits back

Cuban officials have flatly rejected the drone accusations. Foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez described the reports as “slander” and “leaked insinuations from the US government itself,” insisting Cuba has the right to self‑defence.

Certain media outlets promoted slander. They leaked insinuations from the US government itself.

President Miguel Díaz‑Canel warned that if US threats materialise, “it will cause a bloodbath with incalculable consequences, in addition to the destructive impact on regional peace and stability.”

Analysts see a message for negotiations

Michael Bustamante, head of the Cuban studies programme at the University of Miami, interpreted Hegseth’s visit as a deliberate signal.

Perhaps Hegseth's visit is intended to yet again reinforce the message that the cost of not coming to the table could be use of a military option, even as observers increasingly warn of such an operation's potential complications.

With daily protests over blackouts and widespread shortages, the pressure is being felt inside Cuba. Whether the latest warning pushes the regime toward concessions or further entrenches resistance remains uncertain.