U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz has warned that Chinese and Russian intelligence sites operating in Cuba represent an active "national security threat" close to American shores. Waltz stated that both China and Russia maintain signals collection posts and have military officers stationed in Cuba, gathering information in proximity to U.S. military bases.
Waltz asserted that the Cuban regime is not only a threat to its own citizens but also to American national security, and the current administration will not tolerate this influence. He indicated that the administration has successfully reduced adversarial influence in other parts of the Western Hemisphere, including Venezuela, Central America, and around the Panama Canal, during the Trump administration's tenure.
"They [Russia and China] still have intelligence posts, signals collection posts and military officers in Cuba right off our shores, but they're no longer in Venezuela, they're no longer in South Central America... even in the Panama Canal, [as they were] under the Biden administration and previous administrations," Waltz said during an interview on "Sunday Morning Futures."
He credited President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for reasserting American influence throughout the hemisphere and pledged continued efforts to counter foreign adversaries.
These remarks coincide with concerns raised by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush regarding Iran's presence in Cuba. Bush cited reports indicating that approximately 300 Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones are located on the island, just 90 miles from Florida's coast. While Bush affirmed the U.S. capability for self-defense, he highlighted these drones as evidence of the broader security risks presented by hostile foreign powers operating in close proximity to the United States.