Exclusive: US eyes attack-drone threat from Cuba

Source: msn/Axios

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Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones and recently began discussing plans to use them to attack the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, U.S. military vessels and possibly Key West, Fla., 90 miles north of Havana, according to classified intelligence shared with Axios.

Why it matters: The intelligence — which could become a pretext for U.S. military action — shows the degree to which the Trump administration sees Cuba as a threat because of developments in drone warfare and the presence of Iranian military advisers in Havana, a senior U.S. official said.

"When we think about those types of technologies being that close, and a range of bad actors from terror groups to drug cartels to Iranians to the Russians, it's concerning," the official said.

"It's a growing threat."

Driving the news: CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Cuba on Thursday and bluntly warned officials there against engaging in hostilities. He also urged them to scrap their totalitarian government to end crippling U.S. sanctions, a CIA official told Axios.

"Director Ratcliffe made clear that Cuba can no longer serve as a platform for adversaries to advance hostile agendas in our hemisphere," that official said.

"The Western Hemisphere cannot be our adversaries' playground."

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/exclusive-us-eyes-attack-drone-threat-from-cuba/ar-AA23oFWF