United States spy plane flights near Cuba have accelerated over the past three months, mirroring the pattern observed before the operation that removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, according to a new analysis. At least 25 flights by Navy and Air Force aircraft and drones have been tracked along the Cuban coast since February 4, based on publicly-available aviation data studied by CNN.
Surveillance Operations Intensify
The aircraft involved are predominantly P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol planes, used for surveillance and reconnaissance. However, RC-135V Rivet Joint aircraft and MQ-4C Triton high-altitude reconnaissance drones have also been observed. The flights have been concentrated near Havana and Santiago de Cuba, with some approaching within 40 miles of the coastline, a move that could be interpreted as an overt threat to the communist government.
“The flights are notable not only for their proximity to the coast, which puts them well within range of gathering intelligence, but for the suddenness of their appearance – prior to February, such publicly visible flights were exceedingly rare in this area – and for their timing,” CNN’s analyst concluded.
Trump’s Threats and Sanctions
Following the successful removal of Maduro, President Donald Trump has repeatedly boasted that Cuba is his for the taking. He reposted a Fox News clip on Truth Social on January 19, where pundit Marc Thiessen predicted the president would visit a “free Havana” before the end of his second term. Trump subsequently imposed an oil blockade on Cuba, worsening an energy crisis already exacerbated by the loss of Maduro, who supplied oil to meet Cuba’s demand of roughly 100,000 barrels per day.
Cuba’s electrical grid collapsed under the pressure, leaving hospitals unable to provide basic care, schools closed, and flights suspended amid rolling blackouts. When asked about his intentions toward the island by Fox’s Peter Doocy on March 16, Trump responded: “Whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, you want to know the truth. They are a very weakened nation.”
Rubio’s Stance
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a former Florida senator raised in Miami’s anti-communist Cuban expatriate community, has long called for regime change in Havana. He recently described the island as a “failed state” run by “incompetent communists.” Rubio applauded the Maduro operation, stating it served as a warning to Latin America: “Don’t play games with this president in office, because it’s not going to turn out well.”
Speaking at a diplomatic conference in St. Kitts and Nevis in late February, he said of Cuba: “Cuba’s status quo is unacceptable. Cuba needs to change. It needs to change, and it doesn’t have to change all at once. Everyone is mature and realistic.”
New Sanctions and Cuban Response
Trump has recently stated his intention to take over Cuba “almost immediately” once the Iran conflict is resolved. His administration has introduced new sanctions, which the White House says are designed to punish a regime that “aligns itself with countries and malign actors hostile to the United States, going so far as to facilitate their military and intelligence operations.”
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez responded by calling the latest US act of hostility “contemptible yet curious and ridiculous” and a “cynical and hypocritical” act of “economic warfare.”
