{"id":274672,"date":"2026-05-18T01:57:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T01:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/274672\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T01:57:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T01:57:57","slug":"cuban-regime-denies-reports-of-possible-drone-attacks-on-guantanamo-and-key-west-nbc-6-south-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/274672\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuban regime denies reports of possible drone attacks on Guant\u00e1namo and Key West \u2013 NBC 6 South Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cuban regime responded Sunday to an Axios exclusive report<\/a> which, citing confidential intelligence shared with the digital outlet, claims Cuba has acquired hundreds of military drones and is weighing possible attack scenarios against targets in the United States, including Key West.<\/p>\n

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodr\u00edguez<\/a> said Sunday afternoon that \u201ccertain media outlets are playing along, peddling slander and leaking insinuations from the U.S. government itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the same post, he insisted that \u201cCuba neither threatens nor wants war.\u201d He added that \u201cwithout any legitimate pretext, the U.S. government is building, day after day, a fraudulent case to justify the ruthless economic war against the Cuban people and an eventual military aggression.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rodr\u00edguez also reiterated that the island has the right to exercise \u201cthe legitimate self-defense recognized by the U.N. Charter.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Axios, the Caribbean island would be discussing the possibility of attacks against the U.S. military base at Guant\u00e1namo Bay, military facilities and possibly Key West.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the report was published, the Cuban Embassy in the United States<\/a> shared a message on its X account.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike any country, Cuba has the right to defend itself against external aggressions. That is called legitimate self-defense and it is protected by International Law and the Charter of the United Nations,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n

The message added that \u201cthose in the United States who seek the submission and, in fact, the destruction of the Cuban nation through military aggression and war, do not waste a single moment manufacturing pretexts, creating and spreading falsehoods.\u201d<\/p>\n

For his part, Cuba\u2019s deputy foreign minister, Carlos Fern\u00e1ndez de Coss\u00edo, said that \u201cthe anti-Cuba effort aimed at justifying, without any excuse whatsoever, a military aggression against Cuba is intensifying by the hour, with increasingly implausible accusations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe United States is the aggressor country. Cuba is the country under attack,\u201d he added on X.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Florida Rep. Mario D\u00edaz-Balart shared the Axios story and reacted by writing: \u201cWe\u2019ve seen the threat drones pose in the Middle East. Now they are 90 miles from our shores and near critical infrastructure. It\u2019s clear the Cuban regime poses a threat to national security.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar<\/a> said that \u201cthe world has already seen what hostile regimes can do with drones, and those capabilities in the hands of the Cuban regime, just 90 miles from Florida, should concern every American.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA dictatorship aligned with America\u2019s adversaries operating so close to our shores isn\u2019t just a regional issue. It\u2019s a direct threat to our national security,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Gim\u00e9nez also responded to the reports, saying the \u201cregime in Cuba threatens\u201d U.S. security.<\/p>\n

Amid the military tensions, retired Navy commander Phil Ehr<\/a> said that \u201cas a member of the Armed Services Committee, Carlos Gim\u00e9nez should have been addressing this drone threat many months ago. He hasn\u2019t. Hegseth should have already deployed anti-drone capabilities to the Keys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ehr, who is also running for Florida\u2019s 28th Congressional District, said: \u201cWe can\u2019t allow Key West residents to be left defenseless, nor the military assets at JIATF South, NAS Key West, or the \u2018Fat Albert\u2019 aerostats.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Carlos Gimenez should have been all over this drone threat many months ago. He\u2019s not. Hegseth should have already deployed anti-drone capability to the Keys.<\/p>\n

The United States will not be deterred. We must be prepared. One glance\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/ix4UGMCsO3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Phil Ehr (@PhilEhr) May 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

As for security in the Keys, the Monroe County Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/a> said Sunday it has not received any communication from the federal government regarding the reported information.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m monitoring the situation, but I have not been contacted by any government agency and I don\u2019t believe there\u2019s cause for concern,\u201d Sheriff Rick Ramsay said. \u201cI\u2019m sure I\u2019ll be notified if anything changes and I will alert the public,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

It is important to note that NBC6 has not independently verified the confidential reports referenced by Axios. This story summarizes reactions from key figures to the publication.<\/p>\n

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