Hegseth visits Guantanamo as Trump ratchets up pressure on Cuba
What's new: The trip follows visits by the CIA director and the top US Latin America commander as Washington hardens its stance toward Havana.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba on June 10, marking another senior-level US visit as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Havana. Hegseth was expected to meet troops at the base and did not speak publicly on arrival. The trip came less than two weeks after Gen. Francis Donovan, the top US commander for Latin America, visited Guantanamo and held talks with a senior Cuban general at the perimeter. It also followed CIA Director John Ratcliffe's rare visit to Havana in May. The Trump administration has tightened pressure on Cuba, including moves targeting its fuel supplies, while Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez warned any military action would cause a "bloodbath."