Pentagon Masses USS Nimitz and 2,500 Marines Near Cuba as Rubio Calls Island a 90-Mile Threat
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 28
Pentagon Masses USS Nimitz and 2,500 Marines Near Cuba as Rubio Calls Island a 90-Mile Threat
9 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 28
USS Nimitz entered the Caribbean in May with guided-missile destroyers and cruisers, while Pentagon planners kept forces in place for possible action against Cuba.
Marco Rubio cast Cuba as a national-security threat 90 miles from the US, and the carrier arrived the same day Washington indicted former president Raúl Castro in what analysts called a show of force.
Advanced US drones and surveillance aircraft have circled Cuba for months, and the USS Kearsarge amphibious group carrying 2,500 Marines is off Virginia preparing to deploy and potentially relieve ships heading home.
Mark Cancian said the buildup offers options from intimidation to air strikes on Cuban air defenses or leadership, though a large ground invasion would require additional troops.
Many warships in the summer deployment are nearing 10 months at sea—well beyond the usual six to seven—raising strain on crews as the Navy also maintains operations against Iranian shipping.
Beyond the 'fantasy' drone threat, what is the true endgame of the US military buildup in the Caribbean?
With Raúl Castro indicted and a US carrier nearby, is a military confrontation between the United States and Cuba now inevitable?
As Cuba faces 'energy starvation,' where is the line between foreign policy pressure and illegal collective punishment?