U.S. intel community analyzing how Cuba might respond to military action

Politics U.S. intel community analyzing how Cuba might respond to military action By James LaPorta, James LaPorta National security coordinating producer James LaPorta is the national security coordinating producer for the CBS News' Washington bureau. He is a former U.S. Marine veteran infantryman and veteran of the Afghanistan war. Read Full Bio James LaPorta, Margaret Brennan, Margaret Brennan Moderator, "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan;" Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan is moderator of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on CBS. Based in Washington, D.C., Brennan is also the Network's chief foreign affairs correspondent and a contributing correspondent to 60 Minutes. Additionally, she appears regularly on the "CBS Evening News," leading coverage from Washington when news breaks on the political and foreign affairs fronts. Read Full Bio Margaret Brennan, Olivia Gazis Olivia Gazis Olivia Gazis covers intelligence and international security matters for CBS News. Twice Emmy-nominated, she has traveled worldwide with the secretary of state and contributes reporting on intelligence, foreign policy and other security topics across CBS News broadcast, radio, online and streaming platforms. Read Full Bio Olivia Gazis May 20, 2026 / 6:14 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — The U.S. intelligence community has been exploring how Cuba might respond to an American military action, CBS News has learned. Earlier this month, as the U.S. intelligence community tracked the Universal, a sanctioned Russian-flagged oil tanker bound for Cuba, analysts at the Pentagon and Defense Intelligence Agency, the U.S. military's intelligence arm, started to analyze what the Cuban response would be to an American attack on the Caribbean country. Work on developing military options for President Trump has begun, according to two U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter. Both requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak...