The US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its strike group have entered the Caribbean Sea amid escalating tensions between Washington and Havana.The deployment comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has intensified rhetoric against Cuba and hinted at possible action against the island nation.The carrier strike group includes the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, Carrier Air Wing 17 equipped with F/A-18E Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers and C-2A Greyhounds, along with the destroyer USS Gridley and the replenishment oiler USNS Patuxent.The US Southern Command (Southcom), which oversees American military operations in the Caribbean and Latin America, confirmed the deployment on Wednesday.In a post on X, Southcom said, “USS Nimitz has proven its combat prowess across the globe, ensuring stability and defending democracy from the Taiwan Strait to the Arabian Gulf.”
Trump comments after Raul Castro indictment
The deployment comes shortly after the US department of justice formally charged former Cuban President Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue.Trump said the administration has Cuba “on our mind” following the indictment. “It’s very important,” he said, adding that it was “a very big moment” for Cuban Americans and those wishing to reunite with families in Cuba.The indictment accuses Castro of ordering the shootdown of two unarmed civilian planes over international waters in 1996, killing four people. Charges include murder and destruction of an aircraft.Acting US attorney general Todd Blanche said in Miami, “For nearly 30 years, the families of four murdered Americans have waited for justice.”
US pressure on Cuba intensifies
The Trump administration has steadily increased pressure on Havana in recent months through sanctions, diplomatic pressure and warnings of possible action.US authorities recently captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, further raising concerns in Cuba.CIA director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials in Havana last week and warned that the window for talks “would not remain open indefinitely.”US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who is Cuban-American, also issued a Spanish-language message supporting the US fuel blockade on Cuba while blaming the communist government for recurring blackouts and economic hardship.
Cuba facing deep economic crisis
Cuba is facing severe economic troubles marked by fuel shortages, food scarcity and widespread blackouts. Trump, however, attempted to downplay fears of direct military escalation.“There won’t be escalation. I don’t think there needs to be. Look, the place is falling apart. It’s a mess, and they’ve sort of lost control,” Trump said.The USS Nimitz, commissioned in 1975, had recently participated in joint naval exercises with the Brazilian Navy off Rio de Janeiro before entering the Caribbean region.
