Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023 and is reportedly discussing potential use against U.S. targets, according to intelligence cited by Axios.
The report says the systems are stored at strategic sites across the island, with Cuban officials also seeking additional drones and military equipment in recent months.
It also claims that Cuban planners have discussed possible use of the systems against targets that could include the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, American military vessels, and potentially Key West, Florida.
“When we think about those types of technologies being that close, and a range of bad actors from terror groups to drug cartels to Iranians to the Russians, it’s concerning,” a senior U.S. official said. “It’s a growing threat.”
U.S. officials also said Cuban authorities have recently sought additional drones and military equipment from Russia, while intercepted communications suggest Cuban intelligence is studying Iranian methods of countering U.S. forces.
Axios said CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Cuba this week and warned Cuban officials not to take hostile actions against the U.S.
“Director Ratcliffe made clear that Cuba can no longer serve as a platform for adversaries to advance hostile agendas in our hemisphere,” an U.S. official said. “The Western Hemisphere cannot be our adversaries’ playground.”
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez denied the allegations on Sunday and accused the U.S. of fabricating a “fraudulent case” to justify economic sanctions and potential military intervention.
Sin excusa legítima alguna, el gobierno de #EEUU construye, día tras día, un expediente fraudulento para justificar la guerra económica despiadada contra el pueblo cubano y la eventual agresión militar.
Medios de prensa específicos le hacen el juego, promoviendo calumnias y…
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) May 17, 2026
“Cuba neither threatens nor desires war. It defends peace and prepares itself to confront external aggression in the exercise of the right to legitimate self-defense recognized by the UN Charter,” Rodríguez said.
The reported buildup comes amid tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, which have escalated significantly in recent months. The tensions began in January after the administration restricted oil shipments to Cuba as part of a broader pressure campaign aimed at encouraging political change in the communist-led government.
According to a USA Today report in April, the Pentagon has quietly expanding contingency planning for a possible U.S. military operation in Cuba, in the event President Donald Trump orders direct intervention on the island.
Trump previously suggested that the U.S. could take a more direct role in Cuba’s future. At one point, he said he expects soon to have the “honor” of “taking Cuba, in some form.”
In April, Trump said the U.S. “may stop by Cuba” after the war in Iran is resolved.
