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Year: 2026

China-linked spy site expansion in Cuba raises alarms near key US military bases

China-linked spy site expansion in Cuba raises alarms near key US military bases

As the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Cuba, renewed scrutiny is falling on expanding intelligence infrastructure on the island that analysts say could help China and Russia monitor sensitive U.S. military activity near Florida. New reporting and satellite analysis of a major Cuban signals intelligence facility outside Havana have intensified concerns about foreign surveillance capabilities positioned near Key West naval operations, Homestead Air Reserve Base and launches from Cape Canaveral. Recent reporting, including a Wall Street Journal report citing U.S. officials who believe Chinese and Russian intelligence personnel and capabilities in Cuba have significantly expanded in recent years, has renewed focus on the island’s role in foreign intelligence gathering against the United States.  CHINA’S SPYING IN CUBA SPARKS ALARM ON CAPITOL HILL AFTER FRESH SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW SURVEILLANCE BUILDUP Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently acknowledged that Cuba hosts Russian and Chinese intelligence presence near Florida, while Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., warned the facilities pose “a big threat” to nearby military operations. “They’re 90 miles from our coast. They’re friends with our enemies,” Scott told Fox News Digital. “It’s a big threat. … It’s very significant risk to us.” Analysts caution that highly sensitive U.S. military communications likely are encrypted and difficult to intercept directly. But facilities like Bejucal, Cuba, can still help adversaries track how U.S. military assets move, communicate and operate over time by monitoring electronic signatures and communications patterns.  “You might not know what one system talking to another system is saying, but you know that they talk to each other,” CSIS fellow Matthew Funaiole told Fox News Digital. “Over time that helps reveal operational patterns.” Funaiole said the facilities likely are more useful for mapping military activity and identifying electronic signatures than directly intercepting sensitive communications.  “That helps you understand where assets are operating, how systems communicate and whether there’s unusual activity taking place,” he said. The renewed focus comes as the Trump administration sharpens its crackdown on Havana through expanded sanctions, criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro and tougher warnings about Chinese and Russian influence operating near the U.S. mainland. Scott pointed specifically to military operations at 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, and testing ranges in the Gulf of America.  The renewed attention also follows a May 2025 analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies identifying new construction at the Bejucal, Cuba, signals intelligence site outside Havana, including a significantly larger circularly disposed antenna array, or CDAA, which analysts say could improve the facility’s ability to monitor air and maritime activity across the region. CHINA EXPANDS SPACE FOOTPRINT IN LATIN AMERICA, RAISING MILITARY ALARMS IN AMERICA’S BACKYARD The Bejucal, Cuba, site has undergone visible changes in recent years. In its May 2025 report, CSIS identified a new circularly disposed antenna array under construction at the facility replacing an older and smaller array previously located nearby.  Circularly disposed antenna arrays are used for high-frequency direction finding, allowing operators to identify the origin of radio signals across long distances. CSIS said the systems can potentially track signals from thousands of miles away. Funaiole noted the technology dates back to the Cold War, when the Soviet Union operated extensive intelligence infrastructure in Cuba aimed at monitoring the United States. “CDAAs are old technology,” he said. “But China clearly sees a value” in them. CSIS previously identified similar Chinese-built CDAA facilities at military outposts in the South China Sea, including on Mischief Reef and Subi Reef. Analysts and U.S. officials have long suggested China has access to or involvement with Cuban intelligence facilities, though publicly available evidence has not definitively established direct Chinese control of the sites. Rubio recently said Cuba hosts “Russian and Chinese intelligence presence” near the United States, while the Biden administration acknowledged in 2023 that Chinese intelligence collection activity tied to Cuba was an “ongoing issue” and said Beijing had upgraded intelligence collection facilities on the island in 2019. “I’m not going to comment on military matters or national security threats directly linked to the United States with specificity,” Rubio told reporters May 21. “Here’s what I can tell you. Cuba not only has weapons that they’ve acquired from Russia and China over the years, but they also host Russian and Chinese intelligence presence in their country not far from where we’re standing right now.”  “So Cuba’s always posed a national security threat to the United States.” The White House referred to Rubio’s comments when asked for comment. The Pentagon, Cuban embassy and Chinese embassy did not return a request for comment.  China repeatedly has denied involvement in surveillance facilities in Cuba, while Cuban officials have dismissed allegations of Chinese spy operations on the island as “totally untrue” and politically motivated. Funaiole cautioned that expanding infrastructure does not necessarily mean large numbers of foreign personnel are physically operating at the facilities full-time. “There’s certainly more capabilities, and you’re going to need personnel to support that in one way or the other,” he said. “But you don’t physically have to be on the ground to benefit from these facilities.” Cuba has long played a role in foreign intelligence gathering against the United States. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union operated the Lourdes signals intelligence complex near Havana, which monitored U.S. military and communications activity for decades. Analysts say the same geographic advantages that once made Cuba valuable to Soviet intelligence continue to make it attractive to U.S. adversaries today. “Physical distance matters,” Funaiole said. “If you’re trying to monitor the U.S. as an adversary, it makes sense to try and have access to facilities in Cuba.” That proximity places Cuban intelligence infrastructure near a dense concentration of sensitive U.S. military and aerospace activity, including U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Florida — the military command responsible for operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean. Funaiole said facilities like Bejucal, Cuba, may be especially useful for identifying shifts in military

Democrat infighting erupts as Colin Allred slammed for defeating LGBTQ congresswoman

Democrat infighting erupts as Colin Allred slammed for defeating LGBTQ congresswoman

Democratic infighting erupted after a handful of prominent lawmakers railed against former Rep. Colin Allred following Tuesday’s runoff election win, citing the Black Democrat’s decision to unseat Texas’ sole openly lesbian lawmaker.  Reps. Mark Takano, D-Calif., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., co-chairs of the Democrat-aligned Equality Caucus’ political arm, sharply criticized Allred for challenging Rep. Julie Johnson in the Democratic primary for a deep-blue Dallas-anchored House seat.  “It’s no secret that, without Julie, Texas — and likely the entire South — will lose openly LGBTQ representation in Congress,” the Equality PAC co-chairs wrote in a statement Wednesday. “Many in our community remain deeply hurt by Colin Allred’s decision to challenge one of our own.” “As he moves forward, he bears a responsibility to help heal those divisions and rebuild trust with the communities impacted by this race,” they added. JASMINE CROCKETT BACKS COLIN ALLRED IN TEXAS DEMOCRATIC US HOUSE PRIMARY RUNOFF The statement marked a notable rift in the party that has embraced identity politics, pitting a Black Democrat who is straight against a White lesbian lawmaker.  Prominent Democratic-aligned commentators blasted the statement as unhelpful to the party’s election efforts.  “Oh my god, this kind of whining is so off-putting. Straight people are allowed to run for office,” journalist Josh Barro wrote on social media. “Leave this s— in Woke 1, besties,” Tré Easton, a former senior aide to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said in response to the Equality PAC statement. The Equality PAC’s attack on Allred also comes as House Democratic leadership has accused Republicans of trying to gut Black representation in Congress by pursuing redistricting in southern states.  “In addition to trying to rig the midterm elections, they want to decimate Black and Latino representation in Congress,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said of Republicans on MS NOW earlier in May. CENTRIST DEMS TURN ON FAR LEFT AFTER THE ELECTION: ‘IDENTITY POLITICS’ IS ‘ABSOLUTELY KILLING US’ The Equality PAC contributed at least $484,000 to Johnson’s campaign, the Texas Tribune reported. Johnson also serves as a vice-chair of the group. Allred comfortably defeated Johnson Tuesday by a nearly 8-point margin in the Democratic primary runoff election. The decisive victory ends Johnson’s short-lived career after she succeeded Allred in the House when he launched a failed Senate bid against Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2024. The former congressman chose to challenge Johnson late last year after suspending his campaign for Texas’ 2026 Senate race. Spokespersons for Allred and Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Despite inflammatory comments, Platner holds 9-point lead over Collins in new poll

Despite inflammatory comments, Platner holds 9-point lead over Collins in new poll

The intense media scrutiny and Republican attacks facing Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine over his controversial and inflammatory past online comments and his now-removed but well-publicized tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol don’t appear to be slowing him down. A new public opinion poll shows Platner holding an upper single-digit lead over longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine in a race that is among a handful that will likely decide if the GOP holds its slim 53-47 majority in the Senate in this year’s midterm elections. Platner, a progressive candidate backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, stands at 51% support among likely Maine voters, with Collins at 42%, in a Pine Tree State poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire. Six percent of respondents were undecided, with 2% backing other candidates. The survey is the latest public opinion poll to indicate Platner, an oyster farmer and Army and Marine veteran who served in combat in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, leading Collins, a moderate Republican who is seeking a sixth six-year term in the Senate representing left-leaning Maine. WHAT MAINE VOTERS TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL ABOUT GRAHAM PLATNER’S CONTROVERSIES Ninety-one percent of Democrats questioned said they’d vote for Platner in the general election, with 87% of Republicans backing Collins. The senator held a slight 47%-44% edge over Platner for the support of independents. The poll was released two weeks ahead of Maine’s primary. Platner is considered the Democrats’ presumptive nominee after two-term Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and other establishment leaders, suspended her campaign a month ago. Mills cited fundraising concerns and polling woes for her decision to end her bid. But the governor’s name will remain on the primary ballot. According to the poll, Platner stands at 76% support for the Democratic nomination, with Mills at 10% and longshot Senate contender, David Costello of Brunswick, who spent decades working in state and federal government, at 3%. Collins faces no challengers for the Republican Senate nomination. PLATNER CONFRONTED OVER PAST ON-LINE CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS Platner, who advocates an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class as he runs for the Senate, has been criticized by Collins and other Republicans as too extreme for Maine. “I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters. But, obviously, I don’t take anything for granted,” Collins said when asked in a Fox News Digital interview earlier this month if Platner was too far to the left. But Platner, in a Fox News Digital interview a week later, argued, “What’s radical is somebody like Susan Collins, who, for decades now, has made sure that we pass policies that are going to help corporations and billionaires to the detriment of working people, supporting over and over and over again, illegal and insane foreign wars.” Platner, amid a slew of media stories, has come under fire from Republicans in recent weeks over his past controversial comments from last decade, after he returned from combat tours of duty, as well as more recent comments earlier this decade, that he made on Reddit. WHAT GRAHAM PLATNER SAID IN A FOX NEWS DIGITAL INTERVIEW Platner apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign. But confronted by Fox News Digital last week near his home in Maine, Platner declined to apologize both to voters and a Purple Heart recipient when asked about a deleted Reddit post where he said the wounded soldier “didn’t deserve to live.” Meanwhile, Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB It’s not just Republicans who are taking aim at Platner over the comments and the tattoo. A few Democrats are also speaking out. Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts this week reiterated his criticism of Platner. “As I said months ago, I find Platner’s Nazi tattoo and his commentary about it personally disqualifying,” Auchincloss wrote Tuesday in a social media post. “If it were me, I’d vote for someone else in the Maine Democratic primary.” The Pine Tree Poll was conducted May 21-25, with an overall sampling error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

Ex-counterterrorism chief warns of ‘major problem’ that could force US ‘back into the war on Iran’s terms’

Ex-counterterrorism chief warns of ‘major problem’ that could force US ‘back into the war on Iran’s terms’

Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent claimed that by having military assets in the vicinity of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the U.S. is at risk of being compelled “back into the war on Iran’s terms.” “A major problem w/ the status quo of having our forces within reach of the Iranians is that we could easily be forced back into the war on Iran’s terms,” Kent asserted in a Thursday post on X. “If we withdraw now we retain the ability to strike from a distance & take away Iran’s ability to draw us back into the war. Thankfully it appears that we didn’t take casualties, we won’t always be so fortunate,” he added. IRAN CLAIMS URANIUM ENRICHMENT AS ‘RED LINE’ IN TALKS WITH TRUMP AS US DOWNS DRONES OVER HORMUZ Kent, who quit the counterterrorism post in March because of his opposition to the Iran war, made the comments when sharing a post issued by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). “At 10:17 p.m. ET on May 27, Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz. All drones were successfully intercepted by U.S. forces which also prevented a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas,” CENTCOM’s Thursday post noted. TRUMP SAYS IRAN IS ‘NEGOTIATING ON FUMES,’ BELIEVES REGIME THOUGHT THEY COULD OUTWAIT HIM “U.S. Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM added. Kent has suggested that it would be in America’s interests to withdraw its forces from the area. TOP COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL RESIGNS IN PROTEST OF US WAR AGAINST IRAN “Operation Midnight Hammer proved we can strike inside Iran from the U.S. without relying on our bases in the region. Operation Epic Fury proved that our bases in the region are a liability not an asset. Our bases give Iran easy to reach targets. Pulling out now works in our favor, not Iran’s,” he wrote in a post.