United Sates War Secretary Pete Hegseth attended a conference this week of the American Coalition Against Cartels held in Panama. During the event, the secretary addressed several issues related to Latin America—and the war on drug trafficking in particular. Hegseth was then asked about Washington’s position on Cuba—which has been experiencing a severe crisis since the fall of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The defense secretary said that regarding Cuba, “all options are on the table, including military options.”
1+Hegseth’s statement came after a report claimed that President Donald Trump’s administration has significantly ramped up American intelligence activity on the Caribbean island in recent months, as part of a strategy aimed at driving deep reforms in the communist regime—and even bringing about its collapse. According to the report, the increased activity is not a routine move.
A source involved in the details claimed this is a tactical step that could lay the groundwork for additional options, ranging from expanding covert operations against the regime to the possibility of American military action—which according to Hegseth’s remarks appears closer than ever. Later in the conference, Hegseth noted that the US is working in close cooperation with countries in the region, such as Panama and Ecuador, on security issues and the fight against drug cartels, and that Colombia joined the coalition as its 19th member, with its new prime minister Abelardo de la Espriella hosting the coalition’s headquarters.
1+Referring to the day former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was arrested by the US military, Hegseth claimed that air defense systems supplied by Russia failed to protect the capital Caracas, and that Cuban security forces also failed to protect Maduro.