CIA Launches Secret Cuba Task Force to Fracture Political Elite

The Central Intelligence Agency has established a dedicated Cuba task force to intensify covert pressure on Havana and orchestrate divisions within its political establishment.

The secret initiative aims to force the economic and leadership concessions demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The specialized unit allows Washington to rapidly deploy financial, human, and technical assets toward the island.

Personnel expanding the operation include case officers, intelligence analysts, and specialists in cyber and covert influence operations, according to The New York Times.

Exploiting Elite Divisions

The task force operates under a precise mandate to manufacture fissures among Cuba’s political elite.

American strategists hope this internal friction will compel Havana to replace anti-U.S. hardliners with pragmatic officials willing to accommodate Washington.

It marks a significant structural pivot in American intelligence strategy. The initiative revives memories of the agency's 1960 Cuba task force, which orchestrated the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion.

Modern operations eschew organized proxy forces and lethal action. However, the foundational presidential authorities governing the unit remain flexible and subject to immediate revision.

Cuban officials dismissed the development as a continuation of historical American aggression.

“The intentions here are no surprise, since Cuba has long been the target of the C.I.A.’s efforts at espionage, subversion and destabilization, including terrorism,” Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, said in a statement.

He added: “And yet the State Department has the audacity to call Cuba a threat for exercising its right to legitimate self-defense.”

Upgraded Intelligence Priorities

The task force deployment aligns with a broader intelligence surge targeting the island. The Trump administration recently elevated Cuba to a “Priority 1” target within the National Intelligence Priorities Framework.

This classification places Havana alongside tier-one strategic adversaries such as China, Iran, and Russia.

Consequently, the National Security Agency and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency have redirected satellite and collection assets toward Cuban territory.

The influx of intelligence addresses previous military complaints regarding outdated operational data.

New assessments detailing Cuban military capabilities and defensive postures will allow the U.S. military to update potential strike options.

CIA officers intend to weaponize intercepted data concerning the shadowy financial networks of the Cuban elite.

The agency may deploy public information drops to manipulate domestic public opinion, mirroring tactics previously utilized against Russian targets.

Diplomatic Breakdown

The covert escalation follows the collapse of earlier intelligence cooperation efforts initiated in 2015.

Tensions reached a flashpoint in May when CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana. Ratcliffe met with Raúl G. Rodríguez Castro, delivering an ultimatum that time was running out for structural changes.

Ratcliffe implied that failure to comply could subject Cuba to the same fate as Venezuela.

Following the rapid U.S.-backed ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, hawkish American advisers anticipated the Cuban government could collapse before the November midterm elections.

An ongoing U.S. oil embargo has severely constrained the Cuban economy. However, Washington's parallel conflict with Iran temporarily diverted the resources required for a sustained campaign against Havana.

Operating inside Cuba remains highly restricted for American personnel. The CIA fully shuttered its Havana station during Trump's first term due to the anomalous health incidents known as Havana syndrome.

While the Biden administration re-established the embassy station in 2024, deployed officers operate under near-constant surveillance.