Rubio: Partner With CIA for 'Discrete' Change in Cuba

Fifty yards. That is the distance President Donald Trump says a U.S. Navy warship will stop from the Cuban coast.

Speaking at a campaign rally in South Florida on Friday, Trump described a specific sequence of events for the U.S. military presence near the island. He stated that a ship currently deployed near the Strait of Hormuz will pass Cuba. The vessel will halt approximately 50 yards from the shore. The crew will raise their hands. Then, Trump said, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will step in to close the deal.

Rubio’s role is defined in a new public appeal. On Friday, the Secretary of State posted on X, urging Cubans who want "positive change" to act now. He cited "failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of only a few" as reasons to move. Rubio specifically invited readers to "seize this opportunity" through a "discrete partnership with the CIA." The Central Intelligence Agency quickly reposted the message. The agency added a Spanish version and a video outlining how to make contact.

This diplomatic push coincides with increased economic pressure on Havana. The U.S. government announced new sanctions last week targeting Cuba’s state-run bank. Washington claimed the institution has ties to Iran. Under these restrictions, prices for basic goods have risen sharply. Access to medical care has decreased. Reports indicate Cubans are waiting hours in lines for bread and doctor appointments.

Havana has responded with sharp language. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla rejected the U.S. rhetoric on X. He wrote, "We reject any threats stemming from U.S. ambitions toward Cuba." Parrilla noted that while the coast has beautiful beaches, it is also rugged. He described the terrain as inhospitable to those with "hostile intentions and a desire for domination."

The Trump administration frames this as the latest step to remove Cuba’s current government from power. The strategy combines direct intelligence cooperation with visible naval positioning. Trump’s rally remarks placed the military option alongside Rubio’s diplomatic invitation. Both messages went out on the same day.