NYT: U.S. May Kidnap Raul Castro

• 16.05.2026, 20:24

Following Maduro's example.

The US may try to capture 94-year-old Raul Castro in a "Venezuelan scenario". This was reported by The New York Times, citing sources familiar with discussions in the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Washington has sharply increased pressure on Cuba this week, the newspaper noted. The US has stepped up reconnaissance flights around the island, and officials have spoken privately about a possible buildup of US forces in the region.

In addition, CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Cuba and demanded the closure of Russian and Chinese intelligence stations on the island.

The publication notes that Washington is seeking to extract concessions from Havana without bringing the country to complete chaos. One of the goals of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is to demonstrate that the Americans were able to end "communist control of Cuba."

The NYT writes that prosecutors are discussing possible charges against Castro related to drug trafficking as well as the 1996 destruction of humanitarian organization planes.