UN envoy Waltz: Cuba regime is a US national security threat

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Sunday that Cuba's regime is a national security threat, the latest Cuba news escalation as Washington keeps pressure on Havana. Waltz blamed Chinese and Russian intelligence operations on the island targeting U.S. military sites near Florida, and pledged the Trump administration would not tolerate foreign spy activity so close to American shores.

Waltz made the remarks during an interview on Fox News's "Sunday Morning Futures" with Maria Bartiromo, according to The Hill and Fox News. His warning lands amid rising U.S.-Cuba tensions and a broader Trump administration push to roll back Chinese and Russian influence in the Western Hemisphere.

Key Takeaways

• Waltz labeled Cuba's communist government a direct U.S. national security threat on Sunday.
• He accused China and Russia of running intelligence and signals-collection posts near American military bases in Cuba.
• Waltz said adversary footholds have shrunk in Venezuela, Central America, and near the Panama Canal under the current administration.
• The remarks follow prior Trump-era warnings, including a May CIA visit to deliver reform demands to Cuban officials.
• Separate reports have raised concerns about foreign military hardware and drone activity on the island.

What did UN Ambassador Waltz say about Cuba?

Waltz told Bartiromo that "the Cuban regime is not only a threat to its own people, it's a national security threat, and this administration's not going to stand for it any longer." He said both China and Russia "still have intelligence posts, signals collection posts, and military officers in Cuba right off our shores."

He alleged the two countries are "collecting information around our military bases in Cuba." Cuba sits roughly 90 miles from Florida, placing any foreign intelligence infrastructure in unusually close proximity to U.S. territory.

Why are China and Russia central to the warning?

Waltz framed Cuba as one of the last major footholds where Beijing and Moscow still maintain an active presence in the hemisphere. He contrasted that with his claim that they "are no longer in Venezuela" and are "no longer in south Central America, in the way that they were, on the march, even in the Panama Canal, under the Biden administration and previous administrations."

On Fox News, Waltz credited President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with reasserting U.S. influence across the region. He argued the administration has already pushed back against Chinese and Russian influence across much of the Western Hemisphere, even as Cuba remains a concern.

What recent moves sharpened US-Cuba tensions?

The Trump administration has taken a confrontational posture toward Havana. In May, CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials to deliver what the agency described as Trump's message that the United States is prepared to engage on economic and security issues only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.

Waltz's interview also followed broader security headlines. Fox News noted former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush separately raised concerns about Iran's footprint in Cuba, citing reports of roughly 300 Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones stationed on the island. The Hill also referenced an Axios report alleging Cuba possesses about 300 drones and developed an attack plan targeting the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay.

For readers tracking geopolitical risk through BlasterPost's Fintech & Crypto Alerts, Havana's status as a flashpoint near Florida is a reminder that Caribbean security debates can spill into sanctions, energy, and cross-border finance conversations whenever Washington hardens its stance.