Carrier strike groups arrives in the Caribbean as US says Cuba poses 'national security threat' to US
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has rejected suggestions that Washington was engaged in nation-building
Cuba poses a "national security threat" to America, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, as a carrier strike group arrives in the Caribbean.
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Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz arrived in the Caribbean on Wednesday, sparking further concerns that the US could be considering military action against its communist neighbour.
The Nimitz strike group was described by US Southern Command as "the epitome of readiness and presence, unmatched reach and lethality, and strategic advantage".
Rubio has rejected suggestions that Washington was engaged in nation-building.
"It's not nation-building," he told reporters before leaving for a NATO ministers meeting in Sweden. "We are addressing something that's directly related to the national security of the United States."
Read more: NATO allies slammed for 'going into hiding' over Iran war as US hints that peace deal is coming soon
Welcome to the Caribbean, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group!
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) May 20, 2026
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the embarked Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17), USS Gridley (DDG 101) and USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201) are the epitome of readiness and presence, unmatched reach and lethality, and strategic… pic.twitter.com/83mfzSIKzd
Rubio said on Thursday that the chances of a negotiated settlement with Cuba were “not high but the United States would prefer a diplomatic solution.
President Donald Trump is pushing for "regime change" in Cuba, where communists have been in charge since Fidel Castro led a revolution in 1959.
Cuba has accepted a U.S. offer of $100 million in humanitarian aid, Rubio said.
"That remains our preference with Cuba," he told reporters. "I'm just being honest with you, you know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we're dealing with right now, is not high.
"But if they have a change of heart, you know, we're here. And in the meantime, we'll keep doing what we need to do."
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez accused Rubio of inciting military aggression and falsely labelling Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism.
"The U.S. Secretary of State lies once again to instigate a military aggression that would provoke the shedding of Cuban and American blood," Rodriguez said, adding that Cuba poses no security threat to the United States.
The United States announced murder charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro on Wednesday, in a sharp escalation of tensions between the longtime Cold War rivals.
On Thursday evening, the US arrested Adys Lastres Morera, the sister of the executive president of GAESA, a sprawling conglomerate of military-run businesses.
Morera, who entered the United States as a lawful permanent resident in 2023, is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending removal proceedings, according to separate statement from ICE.
Morera's presence poses a threat to the United States and undermines American foreign policy interests, the statement said.