Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Cuba against acquiring weapons capable of reaching U.S. forces or the American homeland during a visit to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay on Wednesday.
“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,” Hegseth said. “They would be inviting the kind of confrontation not only do they not want, but they could not stand.”
Cuba’s reported drone stockpile runs through the same state the United States was bombing Wednesday for the second consecutive day. In a previous report, Cuba had acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023, with Iranian military advisers present in Havana and Cuban planners discussing potential strikes on Guantanamo, U.S. naval vessels, and Key West, Florida.
After Guantanamo, Hegseth flew to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Addressing troops coordinating Middle East operations, he said of Iran, “If they’re not going to make a deal, then we’re going to hit them hard.”
Wednesday’s visit was Hegseth’s second to Guantanamo, following CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s trip to Havana last month and a stop by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Commander Gen. Francis Donovan on May 29.
#SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan met with Army Corps General, Gen. Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, First Deputy Minister of the Chief of the General Staff, and other senior leaders from the Cuban military today at the perimeter of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for a… pic.twitter.com/V4Fau3HxSo
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) May 29, 2026
Hegseth said the U.S. still seeks a positive relationship with Cuba. “Soon, we could be a friend of the leadership of the government of Cuba,” he said, adding the Defense Department would give the president “every single option” within any contingency.
During his stop at Guantanamo, Hegseth said “big news” on Venezuela was forthcoming, citing a new partner willing to work with the U.S. on countering drug trafficking.
