CIA Sets Up Secret Cuba Task Force to Increase Pressure on Havana

The Trump administration has quietly expanded U.S. intelligence operations targeting Cuba, establishing a secretive task force designed to exert maximum pressure on the island’s communist government.

CIA Task Force Mandate and Personnel Expansion

The newly formed task force has begun actively recruiting personnel to bolster its clandestine operations. The unit is adding case officers, intelligence analysts, cyber specialists, and officers dedicated to covert influence operations.

Sources briefed on the internal planning indicated that the primary objective of the task force is to create divisions within Cuba’s political elite. Washington hopes this internal friction will encourage the replacement of officials viewed as anti-American with leaders more receptive to U.S. demands. While the White House and the CIA did not publicly confirm the initiative, with the CIA declining to comment, latintimes.com outlined a clear tactical buildup on the ground.

Rebuilding Capabilities After Havana Syndrome Setbacks

The renewed intelligence push marks a sharp turn after years of reduced U.S. capabilities in Cuba. Intelligence operations on the island were severely curtailed following the mysterious health incidents known as Havana syndrome, which forced Washington to withdraw numerous diplomats and intelligence personnel beginning in 2017.

Although the exact cause of those health incidents remains a point of dispute, they disrupted diplomatic and clandestine functions for years. The current administration’s willingness to re-establish a heavy footprint reflects a much more confrontational stance during President Trump’s second term. Beyond intelligence expansions, the administration has restored Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, broadened economic sanctions, and taken steps to restrict the island’s foreign energy supplies.

Marco Rubio’s Foreign Policy Priority and Diplomatic Pressure

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has emerged as a central architect of the administration’s hardline Cuba policy. The Florida Republican has frequently argued that Cuba’s communist government is entirely responsible for its domestic economic collapse, calling for aggressive measures to support democratic transition.

An internal State Department email revealed that a senior official accused the Cuban regime of exporting anticolonial and third-world resentment toward American institutions, underscoring the administration’s public campaign against Havana.

At the same time, administration officials maintain that diplomatic channels remain open under specific conditions. A source familiar with internal strategy noted that Washington intends to deploy all conventional tools, but emphasized that Trump still prefers diplomacy to achieve policy goals.

Regional Context: High-Profile Actions and Military Surveillance

The intelligence expansion in Cuba follows a series of high-profile enforcement actions across the region. In May, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana to deliver a direct warning, informing Cuban leadership that the United States would entertain serious discussions on economic and security issues only if the regime instituted fundamental changes.

Shortly after that visit, the Justice Department announced criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro regarding the February 24, 1996, shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue civilian aircraft, an incident that resulted in four deaths. U.S. officials also drew a direct line between clandestine intelligence work and the successful capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, underscoring the high value the administration places on regional intelligence assets.

Complementing human intelligence activities, technical surveillance around the island has remained active.

While military and intelligence experts note that gathering information on internal government dynamics and stability is a standard precursor to major foreign policy shifts, no public confirmation has been issued regarding any planned military intervention against the island.