Cuba Military Planning: US Army Reserve Canvasses 6 Unit Types, CBS Reports

CUBA · SECURITY

Cuba military planning has reached the US Army Reserve, days after Donald Trump told the UN the island’s government would fall.

Cuba military planning in Washington is continuing, and has now reached the Army Reserve. The US Army Reserve is checking whether it can give Southern Command police, medical and other support units within four months.

CBS News reported this on Friday 25 September 2026, citing an internal Army message.

The message does not mention Cuba. Several US officials told CBS, speaking anonymously, that the request is part of continued military planning aimed at the island.

There is no sign in the document that any unit has received deployment orders. CBS published the report days after Trump told the UN General Assembly that Cuba’s communist government “will fall”.

What the Army Reserve Message Asks For

Army Reserve headquarters asked its subordinate commands to report whether six types of formations could be made available. All six would come under US Southern Command, which covers Central and South America and the Caribbean.

The units include a combat sustainment support battalion, which coordinates transport, maintenance, fuel and supplies. It also includes an engineer battalion and an expeditionary sustainment command to oversee logistics across a whole theatre.

Two medical elements are on it: a medical brigade and a forward resuscitative and surgical detachment for emergency surgery near troops. The list also includes a military police brigade, used for security, detention and law enforcement.

The units would be “possibly needed in 90–120 days”, the message says. Commands were told to send their answers to Army Reserve headquarters by 25 September.

What the Document Does Not Say

The message gives no number of troops. It does not say where the forces would go or which operation they would support.

The Army Reserve did not respond to CBS before publication. A Southern Command spokesperson said the command does not comment on movements or deployment timelines, citing operational security.

The spokesperson added that Southern Command “continuously coordinates with the Joint Force to assess a range of potential requirements” in its area. The statement neither confirms nor denies a Cuba mission.

Months of Contingency Planning in Cuba Military Planning

This is not the first sign of planning around Cuba. Earlier this year, US forces carried out reconnaissance of the seafloor and sea approaches around the island, US military personnel told CBS.

US air units were also put on heightened readiness and told to pre-position personnel for a possible deployment. Those plans did not go ahead, CBS said.

In May, CBS reported that US intelligence officials were assessing how Cuba would respond to possible US military action. In July, it reported that planners had examined options including an air assault by thousands of soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division.

Officials stressed in July that those briefings did not mean President Trump or the Pentagon had decided to act. CBS found no sign of deployment orders in the new message either.

The Pressure From Washington

The planning comes as the Trump administration squeezes Cuba’s economy and presses for political change. On 17 September it sanctioned eight Cuban entities and three officials, the State Department said.

Four of the entities are nickel-sector companies and four are military research enterprises.

At the UN on 22 September, Trump said his administration sought a “fundamental change” in Cuba. He added that “freedom will be coming to Cuba”.

The Cuban delegation walked out during his speech.

Trump also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “deep into negotiations” with Havana. In March, he said he expected to have “the honor of taking Cuba”, and later that “Cuba’s going to be next”.

Washington has also enforced a de facto oil blockade since January. President Miguel Díaz-Canel calls that “economic warfare” and has vowed to resist any US attack.

What Havana Says

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez spoke to NBC News in New York this week, before the CBS report. He said the US would never find any justification for attacking Cuba, EFE reported.

Cuba poses no threat to US security, he argued. It has raised its defensive capacity with the participation of the whole people, he said.

In the same interview, he said he did not expect a raid like the one that seized Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in January. He added that Havana takes the threats “very seriously”.

He confirmed “some episodes of conversations” with Washington but gave no details. His deputy, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, told Prensa Latina this week that there had been no progress.

Why It Matters

For anyone with family, business or travel plans in Cuba, the report adds a security question to an economic crisis. International visitors fell 64.4% in January–August 2026 from a year earlier, according to the statistics office ONEI.

The planning also fits a wider US military push in the region. US strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific have killed more than 230 people, CBS said.

That toll covers about 70 strikes since the campaign began in September 2025.

Joint US–Ecuador operations against armed groups began in March. On Thursday, US troops and DEA agents helped Ecuador arrest more than 30 people linked to Mexico’s Jalisco cartel.

What to Watch

The first marker is whether any of the six unit types receive orders. Counted from this month, the window of 90 to 120 days points to around the turn of the year.

The second is diplomacy. Rodríguez says Havana is willing to keep talking, while Trump says Rubio is negotiating.

Any shift in that channel matters as much as troop movements.

Sources: CBS News, US military lays groundwork for potential action around Cuba, 25 September 2026; Infobae (EFE), Cuban foreign minister on a possible attack, 25 September 2026; CiberCuba, Fernández de Cossío on talks with the US, 25 September 2026; NBC Miami, Cuba’s foreign minister pushes back on Trump, 24 September 2026; US State Department, sanctions fact sheet, 17 September 2026; EFE, Cuba tourism January–August, 24 September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the US about to invade Cuba?

There is no sign in the document of a deployment order. CBS reported planning for support units, with no troop numbers, destination or named operation.

What units is the US Army Reserve checking?

It is checking six types of formation. They are a sustainment battalion, an engineer battalion, a sustainment command, a medical brigade, a surgical detachment and a military police brigade.

Does the Army message mention Cuba?

No. Several US officials told CBS News that the request is part of continued military planning aimed at Cuba.

What has Cuba said?

In an NBC News interview before the report, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said the US could never justify an attack. He said Cuba takes the threats very seriously and is ready to keep talking.

Connected Coverage

• Cuba Tourism Falls 64.4% as August Brings Only 30,490 Visitors
• Cuban Minister Brands Venezuela’s Turn to Trump ‘Betrayal’

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