Trump ‘prepares 48-hour invasion’ of nearby nation | US | News
The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to accelerate the collapse of Castro’s legacy in Cuba, and discussions are ongoing about a possible military operation on the island as early as this summer.
Although a direct invasion has not yet been authorized, President Donald Trump Claiming that it would prefer a peaceful transfer of power, the Trump administration is said to continue to impose economic sanctions on the island. However, sources suggest that if an invasion were to occur, it would be rapid and would bear similarities to attacks carried out in Venezuela earlier this year.
“The president doesn’t want his boots on the ground for more than 48 hours. That’s turning into a quagmire. That could cause chaos,” a Trump adviser told Axios.
Another senior administration official said eliminating Castro’s remaining influence would happen gradually and incrementally. The administration is also said to be wary of embarking on a new military initiative, given that negotiations to end the Iran war, which the president has promised will last only weeks, are ongoing.
“The best way to describe it is ‘accelerationism,'” said an unnamed senior administration official. “But we don’t want to destroy the regime yet. There is a method for this. It is in the process right now.”
Talks on dismantling the communist regime, widely considered the driving force behind anti-US sentiment in Latin America, began several months ago, and in particular the first concrete steps towards making this a reality have been taken elsewhere.
Earlier this year, Washington launched operations in the Venezuelan capital Caracas to capture dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who face narco-terrorism charges in the Americas. Venezuela has long been considered Havana’s economic lifeline, providing oil shipments that keep the island maintaining a significant revenue stream.
The complete halt of oil shipments to Cuba following Maduro’s capture plunged the island into economic turmoil and increased tensions between long-time enemies Havana and Washington.
In preparation for possible escalation, U.S. Southern Command, which is responsible for military operations in the Caribbean, conducted a multi-agency military exercise simulating possible military action in Cuba.
“Everything is on the table, but there is no invasion planned or imminent,” one official said. “When POTUS says go, we are ready for anything.”
Talk of a possible invasion of Cuba comes after the Justice Department indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro for the 1996 shooting down of a civilian airliner operated by Miami-based exiles.
The indictment accuses the 94-year-old former president of ordering the downing of two small planes operated by the exiled Brotherhood to the Rescue group while he was serving as Cuba’s defense minister. The charges include killing and destroying an aircraft.
“The families of the four murdered Americans have waited nearly 30 years for justice,” Acting Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of Miami said during a ceremony commemorating those killed during these events. “They were unarmed civilians and were flying humanitarian missions to rescue and protect people fleeing repression in the Florida Straits.
When pressed about how far American officials would go to persuade Castro to face these charges on home soil, Blanche added, “An arrest warrant has been issued for his capture. So we expect him to come here voluntarily or otherwise.”
Following the accusations, President Donald Trump warned that “we’ll see” what happens next with Cuba. Although the administration has remained deliberately vague about the island nation’s future, some experts believe this is because the White House is actively pushing for regime change and may resort to extreme measures in that direction.
“The indictment appears to be another shot at gaining leverage over Cuba at the negotiating table. The United States is already using significant economic tools to bring the island to its knees,” Michael Lebowitz, a former Justice Department National Security Division attorney who is also the Guantanamo prosecutor, told The Express US.
