US Recon Flights Intensify Off Cuba, Open-Data Reveal
CNN analyzed public flight-tracking data and found that U.S. intelligence-gathering flights off Cuba have surged since February, with at least 25 flights by P-8A Poseidon, RC-135V Rivet Joint and MQ-4C Triton drones near Havana and Santiago de Cuba, some within about 40 miles of shore. The open-source flights, visible on public dashboards, come as Washington tightens sanctions and rhetoric against Cuba. The Pentagon declined to comment; Cuban officials say the flights pose no threat. CNN notes a similar pattern of publicly visible surveillance surges before U.S. actions in Venezuela and Iran, suggesting a broader signaling trend alongside policy moves.
