MIAMI — Potential drone danger out of Cuba is being monitored closely by the United States.
Local 10 News’ Cuba analyst Andy Gomez said he has stayed in touch with officials on the island.
“I am a great believer in the Kissinger theory of staying in touch with our enemies more than your friends,” he said. “Recently they did confirm for me that they have drones for defensive purposes and they wanted to be very clear, they told me that it was for defensive purposes.”
The acquisition of drones by Cuba raises an interesting question following the recent indictment of Raul Castro in connection to the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue plane shootdown.
“If we were to go get Raul Castro, I’m afraid that those defensive drones will become offensive and they will fire (at) the United States,” said Gomez. “However, I have great faith on our military capabilities and our intelligence community.”
Which is why he said the existence of drones could slightly complicate the idea of going to Cuba and bringing the aging communist leader into U.S. custody.
This comes as U.S. Southern Command recently posted on social media that it has established a new autonomous warfare command. They posted a video showing a military exercise in Key West earlier this year featuring its “autonomous, semi-autonomous and unmanned platforms and systems” used to counter threats in the region.
“It’s a message to Cuba, more than anything else,” said Gomez.
Earlier this week, Cuba Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Josefina Vidal Ferreiro said on PBS that the country is taking threats from the U.S. seriously.
Last week, a U.S. aircraft carrier and its strike group of fighter jets and radar-jamming equipment entered the southern Caribbean.
“We have always favored dialogue with the United States,” said Ferreiro. “It would be naive for us not to be ready in order to defend ourselves in case there is an aggression from the United States to Cuba. Cuba will defend itself.”
Added Gomez: “The base in Guantanamo is very close to where they can get hit, so that’s a possibility, but I’m completely assured that our military capability will be able to intercept these drones from Key West up north.”
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