Published on 6/20/2026
US President Donald Trump said on The Axios Show that any potential operation in Cuba could resemble the way in which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was quickly arrested last January.
Axios said that Trump wants to demonstrate American military power in the Western Hemisphere, in a second presidential term characterized by a sharp approach and expansionist ambitions.
Read also
list of 2 itemsend of list
When Axios reporter Mark Caputo asked Trump on Thursday whether an operation in Cuba might play out similar to the Venezuelan operation, Trump responded, “Maybe. It’s possible.”
Trump added that there is another difference related to resources: “Venezuela has oil. Cuba does not have that. Cuba has beautiful property and beautiful coastlines.”
Trump also said that the operation in Iran is “larger and more powerful in terms of armament” compared to Venezuela, noting that “Venezuela is a military country. They have a lot of soldiers. We went in conditions that were not ideal, but it only took 48 minutes.”
Trump had proposed the idea of a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, and said that he preferred a peaceful transition to a “free” island, but his administration had also drawn up military plans in anticipation of the collapse of the regime in the country, perhaps during this summer.
Although the Cuban army was previously stronger, it has declined significantly after the collapse of Soviet support in the 1990s, and it relies largely on old equipment from the Soviet era.
But American intelligence services monitored the island’s possession of more than 300 military drones, with discussions about using them against the American Guantanamo base and perhaps other targets.
Trump did not set a timetable for any potential operation, and said the matter was “flexible,” but noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “very involved.”
