WorldPosted at: Sep 25 2026 5:53PM


US military examining potential action for Cuba

Washington/Havana, Sep 25 (UNI) The US Army Reserve is examining whether it can provide police, medical, logistics and other support units to US Southern Command in next four months, according to an internal Army message reviewed by CBS News, as the Trump administration continues military planning for a possible attack on Cuba.
While the message does not mention Cuba explicitly, nor does it indicate that any units have been ordered to deploy, nonetheless multiple US officials told CBS News that the planning is focused on Cuba.
The review comes as President Donald Trump continues to increase economic and political pressure on Havana and has repeatedly raised the possibility of stronger US action against the island.
The Army Reserve message asks subordinate commands to assess the availability of six types of formations that could be placed under Southern Command. The units could "possibly [be] needed in 90-120 days", with responses due to Army Reserve headquarters by September 25.
Among the formations being considered is a combat sustainment support battalion responsible for logistics, including transport, maintenance, fuel and supplies, as well as an engineer battalion. The document also seeks an expeditionary sustainment command to oversee logistics across a wider area of operations.
A medical brigade that would command and coordinate medical units is also being considered, along with a forward resuscitative and surgical detachment capable of providing emergency surgery and trauma care closer to US forces.
The sixth formation is a military police brigade. Such units typically oversee military police operations involving security, detention and other law-enforcement responsibilities.
The Army Reserve did not respond to a request for comment.
A Southern Command spokesperson said "Due to operational security concerns, we do not disclose details or comment on U.S. operational movements or potential deployment timelines associated with current or future operations, contingencies, or planning. However, U.S. Southern Command continuously coordinates with the Joint Force to assess a range of potential requirements across its [area of responsibility] in support of assigned missions."
The document does not say how many troops might eventually be involved, where they would be sent or what specific operation they would support.
The latest planning follows other US military preparations involving Cuba reported earlier this year. American forces conducted reconnaissance operations around the island's seabed and maritime approaches, according to US military personnel cited by CBS News. Airpower units were also placed on heightened readiness and personnel were prepared for a possible deployment, although those plans did not ultimately proceed.
CBS News reported in May that US intelligence agencies were assessing how Cuba might respond to a possible US military action as the Trump administration accused Havana of deepening ties with Russia, China and Iran. The 2026 annual threat assessment described Cuba as an enabling environment for larger geopolitical competitors rather than an independent strategic threat.
In July, CBS News reported that American military planners had examined possible military options for Cuba, including an Army-led air assault involving thousands of troops from the 101st Airborne Division, the only US Army unit specifically trained for such an operation. US officials stressed at the time that the planning did not mean Trump or the Pentagon had decided to proceed.
Trump has continued to signal a more assertive US role in the Western Hemisphere under what administration officials have called the "Donroe Doctrine", a reference to a Trump-era adaptation of the Monroe Doctrine aimed at limiting the influence of foreign powers and other perceived threats in the region.
The administration has also expanded military and law-enforcement operations elsewhere in the hemisphere.
In April, US and Ecuadorian forces launched a joint operation aimed at dismantling a suspected criminal hub linked to a narco-terrorist organisation. On Thursday, US troops and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents assisted Ecuadorian authorities in the arrest of more than 30 people linked to Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Since September, the US military has also carried out dozens of strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific against vessels and people Washington has linked to drug trafficking. More than 230 people have been killed in roughly 70 strikes, according to the account cited by CBS News.
Some legal experts have questioned whether such operations comply with the rules governing the use of military force, particularly where those targeted are suspected of criminal activity rather than involved in an armed conflict.
The Trump administration has simultaneously increased pressure on Cuba through sanctions. Washington recently targeted Cuban entities and officials, including military-linked research and development companies connected to the country's nickel industry.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump said his administration was seeking a "fundamental change" in Cuba and predicted that the country's communist government "will fall".
"Freedom will be coming to Cuba," he said, prompting the Cuban delegation to leave the chamber during his remarks.
Trump also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was "deep into negotiations" with Havana and warned that the US would not allow foreign adversaries to establish a stronger foothold "on our own doorstep".
The comments follow months of increasingly direct statements from Trump about Cuba. In March, he said "Cuba's going to be next," calling the island nation "failing country" and remarked that Washington would be there to "help it out". Trump had earlier said he believed he could have "the honour of taking Cuba".
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has vowed to resist any US attack and accused Washington of "aggression" and "economic warfare", particularly over measures affecting oil supplies.
The Cuban government has also sought to counter the prospect of military escalation while facing mounting economic difficulties.
The latest Army Reserve request does not establish that a US military operation against Cuba has been ordered or that one is imminent. The request nevertheless indicates that Southern Command is still assessing its potential support requirements as Washington continues its diplomatic and economic campaign against Havana.
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