On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a roughly 100-page report from the State Department titled "Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism." The document accuses the Cuban regime of conducting a systematic campaign of espionage, subversion, and infiltration against the United States for over sixty years.
"For more than six decades, the Cuban regime has been the leading supporter of radical leftism and Third Worldism in the United States," Rubio declared in his statement introducing the report. "The State Department is revealing the full history of Cuban espionage and subversion in our nation. The American people deserve to know."
The report reveals that Cuban agents successfully penetrated the upper echelons of the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Pentagon, operating covertly for decades without detection.
Cubans in High Places: Deep Infiltration
One of the most serious cases documented is that of Víctor Manuel Rocha, who spied for Cuba for approximately 50 years, from 1973 until his arrest in December 2023. During this time, he held positions such as Director of Inter-American Affairs at the National Security Council under President Clinton, ambassador to Bolivia, and advisor to the Southern Command. Then-Attorney General Merrick Garland described the case as "one of the most profound and enduring infiltrations of the U.S. government by a foreign agent." In 2026, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit to strip Rocha of his U.S. citizenship.
The report also highlights the case of Ana Belén Montes, a senior analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency recruited by Cuban intelligence in 1984. Montes disclosed the identities of at least four undercover agents, the location of a secret military base in El Salvador, and the existence of a multi-million dollar satellite program. Former National Counterintelligence Executive Michelle Van Cleave testified before Congress that Montes "compromised practically everything we knew about Cuba."
The Ideological Roots of Cuban Influence
Beyond traditional espionage, the report traces the ideological lineage of Cuba's project: how Havana developed a form of Marxism rooted in "Third Worldism," transforming racial and anti-colonial resentment into a political weapon. This ideology influenced movements such as the Black Panthers, the Weather Underground, and more recently, anti-ICE groups and organizations linked to the Black Lives Matter movement.
During just 18 months between 1971 and 1972, the FBI recorded approximately 2,500 bombings on U.S. soil, averaging nearly five per day, in a wave of leftist terrorism that Cuba actively facilitated.
Modern Threats: A New Era of Espionage
The report also warns of the current dimension of the threat, noting that China and Russia have tripled their intelligence staff at facilities in Cuba since 2023, with the island hosting 18 signal intelligence installations, three operated by Beijing. According to the document, "China and Russia regard their bases in Cuba as among their most critical foreign listening posts."
This publication comes amid a sustained escalation of pressure by the Trump administration against the Cuban regime throughout 2026. The measures include multiple rounds of sanctions, the deportation of a former official from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), and the investigation of 145 pro-Cuban organizations for potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The report concludes with a warning that encapsulates its central thesis: "Cuba's aggression against the United States was never, at its core, a dispute over economic policy or sovereignty. It was a revolution against Western civilization itself, partly fought through the insidious method of persuading the children of the West to turn against their own heritage."
Key Insights on Cuban Espionage in the U.S.
How did Cuban agents infiltrate U.S. government institutions?
Cuban agents managed to infiltrate top levels of the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Pentagon, operating covertly for decades without being detected.
What are some significant cases of Cuban espionage in the U.S.?
Notable cases include Víctor Manuel Rocha, who spied for about 50 years, and Ana Belén Montes, who compromised significant intelligence about Cuba to its government.
What ideological influence has Cuba had on the U.S.?
Cuba developed a Marxist ideology based on Third Worldism, which influenced U.S. movements like the Black Panthers and more recent groups linked to Black Lives Matter.
What current threats do China and Russia pose through Cuba?
China and Russia have significantly increased their intelligence personnel in Cuba, which hosts key signal intelligence installations, posing a modern threat to U.S. security.