CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Cuba on Thursday to meet with top Cuban officials, a CIA official told MS NOW.
Ratcliffe, the highest-ranking U.S. official to travel to Havana since President Donald Trump returned to office, met with Raulito Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of former leader Raúl Castro; Minister of Interior Lazaro Alvarez Casas; and the head of Cuba’s intelligence services.
The meeting comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries, including Trump’s threats of military action and sweeping U.S. sanctions that have placed additional strain on Cuba’s struggling economy.
According to the CIA official, Ratcliffe was sent to personally deliver Trump’s message that the U.S. is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.
It is unclear what specific changes the Trump administration is seeking.
During the meeting, Ratcliffe and Cuban officials discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability and security issues, according to the official. The discussions took place against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s position that Cuba can no longer be a safe haven for U.S. adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.
Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump himself, have repeatedly criticized the communist government and threatened foreign intervention.
The CIA official said Ratcliffe emphasized that Trump prefers dialogue, while also warning the administration would enforce redlines. According to the official, Ratcliffe told Cuban leaders that they must decide whether to seize this moment with the U.S. or continue down an unsustainable path that only leads to deeper isolation and instability.
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Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
David Rohde is the senior national security reporter for MS NOW and a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. Previously he was the senior executive editor for national security and law for NBC News.
