As President Donald Trump sharpens his rhetoric against Cuba, CNN reported a dramatic surge in U.S. military intelligence-gathering flights off the island’s coast—activity that was virtually nonexistent in the region before February.
According to a CNN analysis of public flight data, the U.S. Navy and Air Force have conducted at least 25 such missions using manned aircraft and drones since February 4. Most flights took place near Havana and Santiago de Cuba, the country’s two largest cities.
The majority of missions were flown by P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, designed for surveillance and intelligence collection. The area also saw an RC-135V Rivet Joint, which specializes in signals intelligence, along with several MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance drones.
CNN noted the unusual nature stems not just from the proximity to Cuba’s coast, but from the timing and sharp shift in activity patterns—before February, publicly tracked flights of this type near Cuba were extremely rare. The network pointed out that in the weeks before the uptick, Trump intensified his statements against Cuba and later expanded the sanctions regime, claiming the island poses a threat to U.S. national security.
Cuba has rejected claims that its government poses a danger to the United States. According to the report, Cuban officials said they are open to negotiations but warned that in the event of a U.S. attack, they would wage a prolonged guerrilla war against American forces.