New Cuba military planning is underway just days after Donald Trump stood before the United Nations and predicted the island’s government “will fall.” CBS News reported Friday that the Army Reserve sent an internal message asking its commands which support units could be made available to US Southern Command, with some possibly needed within 90 to 120 days.
The message itself never mentions Cuba. Multiple US officials told CBS, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly, that the request is part of ongoing planning aimed at the island. The document gives no sign that any unit has actually been ordered to deploy. It does not say how many troops would be needed, where they would go or what operation they would support.
Southern Command is the part of the US military responsible for Central America, South America and the Caribbean. A spokesperson declined to discuss specifics, citing operational security, but confirmed the command routinely works with other branches to evaluate possible needs across the region.
The Army Reserve asked about six types of units: a combat sustainment support battalion, an engineer battalion, an expeditionary sustainment command, a medical brigade, a surgical detachment and a military police brigade. In plain terms, a sustainment battalion moves fuel, food, supplies and equipment. An engineer battalion builds and repairs roads, bridges and bases. An expeditionary sustainment command runs logistics across an entire theater of operations, meaning a whole region where the military is active. The medical brigade and surgical detachment treat the wounded. Military police handle security, detainees and law and order. Units like these support troops on the ground over an extended stretch, not a one night strike.
This is not the first time Cuba military planning has surfaced. In July, CBS reported that planners had examined options including an air assault by thousands of soldiers. Officials said then that the briefings did not mean Trump or the Pentagon had decided to move forward.
The new report lands right after Trump’s Sept. 22 speech at the UN General Assembly. He called Cuba “an absolutely failed state,” said its government is “failing like never before, and it will fall,” and claimed Secretary of State Marco Rubio is “deep into negotiations” with Havana. Cuba’s delegation, led by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, walked out of the hall while he was speaking.
Rodríguez fired back on X, calling Trump’s statements false, insisting Cuba poses no threat to the United States and accusing Washington of refusing to accept Cuba as an independent, sovereign country. He has also disputed Trump’s account of the talks, saying earlier this month that negotiations between the two countries are effectively stalled, though channels of communication remain open.
The pressure on Cuba has been building all year. The Trump administration cut off the island’s oil supply earlier this year, contributing to blackouts lasting days at a time and shortages of basic goods. The island has suffered repeated collapses of its power grid. On Sept. 17, the State Department announced another round of sanctions targeting military linked companies and Cuba’s nickel mining industry, the country’s biggest export. An independent study published this month estimated that 66% of Cubans now live in poverty, up from 45% in mid 2025, according to the Associated Press.
Trump has been saying Cuba will fall for months. Earlier this year he told Politico, “Cuba’s going to fall, too,” and he has openly mused about taking control of the island.
For now, what exists is planning, not orders. The Army is checking who is available, and the timeline in that message runs 90 to 120 days.
