President Donald Trump has grown frustrated that U.S. pressure on Cuba has not led to major political changes on the island, according to a new exclusive report from NBC News.
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The report says Trump has been pressing advisers and questioning why sanctions and pressure campaigns launched by his administration have failed to trigger the collapse of the Cuban government.
NBC News also reported that the Department of Defense has begun updating contingency plans for possible military action against Cuba if ordered by the president. Still, administration officials reportedly believe the Cuban government could fall before the end of the year without direct U.S. military intervention.
According to the report, Cuban officials have shown little willingness to negotiate major concessions with Washington or relinquish power.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that U.S. military intelligence-gathering flights near Cuba have increased in recent weeks. Publicly tracked aircraft and drones have reportedly been operating near Havana and Santiago de Cuba.
Randy Pestana, a national security expert with the FIU Gordon Institute for Public Policy, said the flights could be monitoring movements by Cuban military officials, equipment, and vehicles.
Pestana added that the missions may also be focused on identifying potential Chinese surveillance sites in Cuba and could serve as a way to increase pressure on the Cuban government.
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On Friday, the United States Southern Command, headquartered in Doral, released video showing military exercises in Key West that officials said are designed to counter threats and challenges in the region.
Concerns continue to grow over worsening conditions in Cuba and the possibility of a deeper humanitarian crisis.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States has provided $6 million in humanitarian aid to Cuba and claimed Washington also offered an additional $100 million in aid that Cuban authorities have so far declined to distribute.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla dismissed Rubio’s comments as false and accused the United States of carrying out an economic war against the island that costs Cuba billions of dollars.
Last week, the U.S. announced a new round of sanctions targeting foreign firms that do business with Cuba as well as GAESA, the powerful military-controlled Cuban conglomerate.
Rubio said additional sanctions are expected. NBC News reported new measures could be announced around May 20, which is Cuban Independence Day.
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