Image: from Global Surveillance X @Globalsurv
By Open Chronicle with agencies
The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier has entered the Caribbean Sea amid rising tensions between Washington and Havana, as the Trump administration expands political, military, and economic pressure on Cuba.
The US Southern Command confirmed the arrival of the carrier strike group in a statement released Thursday, describing the deployment as a demonstration of American military readiness and strategic power projection in the region.
“Welcome to the Caribbean, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group!” the command said in a message published on social media.
The statement described the USS Nimitz as having demonstrated “combat prowess around the world,” highlighting operations ranging from the Taiwan Strait to the Persian Gulf.
The deployment includes Carrier Air Wing 17, the guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley, and the logistics support vessel USNS Patuxent.
US Southern Command did not disclose the precise operational location of the strike group inside Caribbean waters. The nuclear-powered USS Nimitz, currently the oldest active aircraft carrier in the US Navy, is scheduled to be decommissioned next year and is believed to be conducting its final major operational mission.
The military deployment comes as relations between the United States and Cuba continue to deteriorate under President Donald Trump’s renewed hardline approach toward Havana.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday expressed deep skepticism about the prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough with Cuba, despite acknowledging that Trump still officially prefers what he called a “negotiated and peaceful” solution.
Rubio argued that Cuba’s political and economic system “does not work” and claimed there appeared to be little willingness among Cuban leaders to implement the changes Washington is demanding.
“They will not be able to wait us out or buy time. We are very serious; we are very focused,” Rubio said before beginning an international diplomatic tour.
The latest escalation also follows the announcement by the US Department of Justice that former Cuban President Raúl Castro has been indicted on multiple charges connected to the 1996 shootdown of two aircraft operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue.
The federal indictment reportedly includes conspiracy to murder US citizens, additional murder-related charges, and accusations linked to the destruction of the aircraft during the incident over Cuban airspace.
Although Raúl Castro no longer serves as Cuba’s president, he remains one of the most influential figures within the country’s political establishment.
The Cuban government strongly condemned the indictment, calling it a “despicable and infamous act of political provocation.”
In an official statement, Havana accused Washington of manipulating the historical circumstances surrounding the 1996 incident and argued that the Brothers to the Rescue aircraft had repeatedly violated Cuban airspace for hostile purposes.
Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ernesto Soberón, also accused the Trump administration of using increasingly aggressive rhetoric while warning that Washington may be preparing justifications for future military action against the island.
“They are building different pretexts for military aggression against Cuba,” Soberón told The New York Times.
At the same time, the Cuban diplomat insisted Havana remains open to discussions with Washington.
“Cuba is willing to discuss everything with the United States. There is no taboo subject in our conversation,” he said.
Soberón also suggested that Cuba could potentially introduce economic or political adjustments in the near future, though he did not provide specific details.
The arrival of the USS Nimitz in the Caribbean has intensified speculation about the broader direction of US policy toward Cuba as the Trump administration increasingly combines military signaling, economic sanctions, and legal pressure against the Cuban leadership.