Satellite analysis and new reporting have intensified concerns about foreign surveillance infrastructure positioned 90 miles from Florida's coast, with analysts saying expanding Chinese and Russian intelligence capabilities in Cuba could help adversaries monitor sensitive U.S. military operations near Naval Air Station Key West, Homestead Air Reserve Base and Cape Canaveral launch facilities.
A May 2025 analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies identified new construction at the Bejucal, Cuba, signals intelligence site outside Havana, including a significantly larger circularly disposed antenna array (CDAA), which analysts say could improve the facility's ability to monitor air and maritime activity across the region. The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters, reported that Chinese and Russian intelligence personnel and capabilities in Cuba have expanded significantly in recent years.
What the Right Is Saying
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters May 21, acknowledged Cuba hosts "Russian and Chinese intelligence presence" near Florida, calling it part of a broader pattern of adversary activity in the Western Hemisphere. The Trump administration has responded with expanded sanctions targeting Havana and criminal charges against former Cuban officials.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that the facilities pose significant risk to nearby military operations. "They're 90 miles from our coast. They're friends with our enemies," Scott said. "It's a big threat. ... It's very significant risk to us." He specifically cited Naval Air Station Key West, which supports military aviation training and testing, and Homestead Air Reserve Base, which hosts fighter aircraft and homeland defense missions.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive critics of the Trump administration's Cuba policy argue that escalating sanctions and military posturing risk worsening regional instability without addressing root causes of migration or political conditions on the island. They note that previous U.S. embargo policies over six decades have failed to produce regime change and instead pushed Havana closer to Beijing and Moscow for diplomatic and economic support.
Some analysts suggest a more nuanced approach could better serve U.S. interests than the current pressure campaign, which includes criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro announced this week by the Justice Department. These voices argue that direct diplomatic engagement might yield more leverage over Cuban foreign policy regarding Chinese and Russian operations on the island than unilateral sanctions alone.
What the Numbers Show
The Bejucal facility's new circularly disposed antenna array represents a substantial upgrade from an older, smaller array previously located nearby. CSIS analysts say CDAA technology can perform high-frequency direction finding across thousands of miles, allowing operators to identify radio signal origins over long distances. The systems date back to Cold War-era Soviet intelligence infrastructure in Cuba.
The Biden administration acknowledged in 2023 that Chinese intelligence collection activity tied to Cuba was an "ongoing issue" and said Beijing had upgraded facilities on the island as early as 2019. CSIS previously identified similar Chinese-built CDAA facilities at military outposts in the South China Sea, including Mischief Reef and Subi Reef.
The Bottom Line
The expansion of signals intelligence infrastructure in Cuba represents a significant concern for U.S. Southern Command and Pentagon planners tasked with protecting military assets operating from Florida installations. While analysts caution that highly sensitive U.S. military communications likely are encrypted and difficult to intercept directly, facilities like Bejucal can still help adversaries track patterns of movement, communication and operations over time by monitoring electronic signatures.
CSIS fellow Matthew Funaiole told Fox News Digital the technology is more useful for mapping military activity than directly intercepting sensitive communications. "You might not know what one system talking to another system is saying, but you know that they talk to each other," he said. "Over time that helps reveal operational patterns." The Trump administration has signaled continued pressure on Havana through additional sanctions and criminal charges targeting former Cuban leaders.