Cuba’s Influence in the U.S. Under Scrutiny by Secretary of State

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed concern about Cuba’s efforts to infiltrate and impact top U.S. institutions. He describes a Cuban spy network as a threat to American interests.

Rubio stated, “A failed state 90 miles from our shores that is aligned with adversaries to the United States poses a national security risk to our country.” His comments were made during an appearance on “My View with Lara Trump.”

These remarks follow the State Department’s release of a detailed report on Cuba’s influence operations in the U.S. The report links the nation to political activism groups such as Antifa and labels Cuba as the “capital of 21st-century communism.”

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The Secretary of State connected protests against ICE and support for Maduro to networks funded by Cuba aimed at pressuring U.S. lawmakers.

“They are an influence and espionage superpower,” Rubio remarked. He highlights Cuba’s history of espionage in the U.S., saying it has consistently embedded spies without payment.

Rubio recalled a former U.S. ambassador, convicted of being a Cuban spy, who infiltrated high-level Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) positions. Manuel Rocha, the former ambassador, pleaded guilty and received a 15-year prison sentence for long-term espionage for Cuba.

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Rubio highlighted Ana Belén Montes, a DIA analyst exposed for leaking U.S. secrets to Cuba, as an example of severe intelligence failures.

He also mentioned Cuba’s strategy of employing networked protesters nationwide to press diverse causes, aiming to influence U.S. lawmakers.

According to Rubio, demonstrations supporting Hamas, opposing ICE, and backing Maduro are often part of Cuban-hired protest networks.

“Such actions aren’t organic—they are funded, organized, with Cuba playing a crucial role,” Rubio stated.

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Rubio said the network could be weaponized against the U.S., and Cuba discusses using it to influence American policymakers.

Additionally, Rubio accused Cuba of deploying influence across Latin America, backing various communist insurgencies over recent decades.

Critics claim the State Department’s report aims to justify U.S. military actions against Cuba by portraying its threat.

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Rubio dismissed sympathies toward Cuba’s one-party communist republic, led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, found in academia and media.

He noted some sympathies arise from anti-American sentiment or ideological ties but emphasized the importance of addressing this threat.

Nora Moriarty is a Writer at Fox News Digital.