AJ
China and Russia increased their intelligence operations in Cuba in recent years, including tripling personnel since 2023 to staff electronic surveillance facilities aimed at monitoring US military activity in Florida, according to the WSJ.
China currently operates three of Cuba’s 18 known signals intelligence sites, while Russia run two, with other facilities reportedly operated jointly with Cuban authorities.
Primary targets are said to include CENTCOM in Tampa and SOUTHCOM near Miami, though officials said much of the intercepted material involved unclassified communications.
According to a senior US official, Cuba-based sites are among Beijing and Moscow’s most important foreign listening posts, with further expansion expected.
The Trump administration used the intelligence findings to increasingly justify pressure on Cuba, which included intensified surveillance efforts such as near-daily drone flights and repositioned spy satellites.
