Miguel Cossío, a Cuban journalist based in Miami, was the first to publicly identify Ramón Romero Curbelo as the leading figure in Cuba's Ministry of the Interior's Intelligence Directorate, following the release of photos depicting a meeting between the CIA director and senior Cuban officials last Thursday in Havana.
The CIA itself released the images, with the faces of the Cuban officials blurred, revealing Romero Curbelo alongside Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas and Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of Raúl Castro, during their encounter with agency director John Ratcliffe.
Cossío stated that the CIA intentionally published these photos shortly after the regime announced the meeting through its official media outlets. "The CIA has been quite strategic in delivering the message it intended to send to the Cuban regime and the public at large," the journalist remarked.
According to Cossío, the pivotal question is why the agency wanted the world to recognize this particular individual. "Why focus on this person? Why Ramón Romero Curbelo, a brigadier general? This individual is the '10 of Spades' in our Castros' deck," he pointed out.
The Rise of a Shadowy Figure
Romero Curbelo, hailing from Cienfuegos, remained largely unknown to the public until now. Before ascending to the head of intelligence, he held positions within the MININT structure in that province with the rank of colonel. His role became officially documented in August 2025 when he led a Cuban delegation to Vietnam's National Security Academy, where he was formally identified as the Director of the Intelligence Directorate.
Cossío categorizes him as the "10 of Spades" in his Castros' Deck project, 2026 edition, an initiative he launched in 2021 following the July 11 protests and the regime's sweeping repression, during his tenure at América TV, channel 41 of Miami.
Inspired by Historical Precedents
"I thought it was beneficial for people to recognize the faces of those in command in Cuba, the faces of repression, through a card game," the journalist recalled about the project's inception.
The concept was inspired by the card game the United States used in 2003 to identify key figures of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, aimed at helping soldiers and officials know who was who. "I adapted the original idea to the Cuban context," Cossío explained.
In the 2026 edition of the deck, numbers above 10 represent the Castro family and generals from the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and other key ministries, placing Romero Curbelo in a position of significant influence within the regime's power structure.
U.S. Diplomatic Strategy and Implications
Ratcliffe's visit to Havana came with a direct message from President Trump: The United States is open to addressing economic and security issues, but only if Cuba implements "fundamental changes." A CIA official further cautioned that "Cuba cannot continue to be a haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere."
The public unveiling of Romero Curbelo signifies a turning point: the chief of Cuban espionage, previously operating in the shadows, has now been identified to the international public by the CIA's deliberate action, which Cossío interprets as a calculated warning to the regime regarding the limits of what Washington is willing to tolerate.
Understanding the CIA's Role and Intentions
Why did the CIA choose to expose Ramón Romero Curbelo?
The CIA's decision to expose Romero Curbelo is interpreted as a calculated message to the Cuban regime and the international community, signaling Washington's stance on the limits of its tolerance for Cuba's actions.
What was the significance of the meeting between the CIA director and Cuban officials?
The meeting signified a diplomatic effort by the U.S. to address economic and security issues with Cuba, contingent upon the Cuban regime implementing fundamental changes.