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Secretary Hegseth to Visit Tampa and Cuba
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is set to visit troops at CENTCOM in Tampa and travel to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. This comes as tensions between the U.S. and Cuba have risen. FOX 13's Kellie Cowan reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is set to travel to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Tampa to engage with troops at the U.S. Naval base in Cuba and CENTCOM.
Hegseth coming to Tampa
What we know:
The White House has not publicly said exactly why Hegseth is making the trip.
The visits come as U.S.-Cuba tensions continue to intensify, with American officials raising concerns about Cuba’s military posture and its ties to Russia and Iran.
MacDill Air Force Base is home to U.S. Central Command.
While Guantanamo Bay remains one of the most sensitive U.S. military installations in the region.
The backstory:
In May, U.S. officials said intelligence showed the Cuban regime was stockpiling military-grade drones supplied by Russian and Iranian allies.
Officials raised concerns about potential threats to U.S. military targets at Guantanamo Bay and nearby Key West, FL.
Cuba’s government has denied seeking confrontation with the United States.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has warned that any U.S. military action against the island could lead to a "bloodbath," with both Cubans and Americans killed.
Cuba’s crisis
Dig deeper:
The island is also dealing with a worsening economic and humanitarian crisis.
A White House-ordered blockage of energy shipments has effectively cut off oil imports, straining Cuba’s power grid and transportation system, and contributing to routine, widespread blackouts.
Food, water and medical shortages have also deepened pressure on the Cuban government.
The Trump administration has increased sanctions and economic pressure on Havana, while Cuban officials accuse Washington of using the crisis as a pretext for possible military action.
Trump’s comments
What they're saying:
President Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed to Cuba as a foreign policy priority in his second term.
In the months following the ouster of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, Trump has repeatedly suggested the U.S. could help bring change to the island.
On Thursday, Trump said, "We’re going to handle that as soon as we’ve finished," referencing continual military operations in Iran. He's also said there could be a "friendly" or "not-so-friendly takeover."
What's unknown
What we don't know:
The Pentagon has not released the full schedule for Hegseth’s visit or said whether the trip is tied to any new military action, policy announcement or regional security concerns.
It is also unclear whether Hegseth will make public remarks during either stop.
The Source: Information in this report comes from White House and Pentagon announcements, U.S. officials, prior public remarks from President Trump, statements from Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, and reporting from the Associated Press.