May 19, 2026 • 13 mins
1. Renewed Strategic Threat from Cuba
- Despite the Cold War being considered over, Cuba is again being viewed as a potential military staging ground for U.S. adversaries.
- The concern is not nuclear missiles like in 1962, but modern drone systems.
2. Drone Warfare Changes Everything
- Drones are:
- Cheap, mobile, and hard to detect
- Capable of low-altitude flight (avoiding radar)
- Effective in large swarm attacks
- Examples cited:
- Russia using Iranian drones in Ukraine
- Drones attacking infrastructure like power grids
3. Geographic Danger
- Cuba is only ~90 miles from Florida, making it:
- Extremely close for drone operations
- A potential launch platform against U.S. cities, ports, and infrastructure
4. Growing Alliance Against the U.S.
- Increasing military and intelligence cooperation between Cuba, Russia, and Iran
- Activities include:
- Naval visits
- Political meetings
- Agreements on military and intelligence coordination
- Iran also expanding influence across Latin America
5. “Gray Zone Warfare” Strategy
- Adversaries may avoid direct war and instead use:
- Drone attacks
- Cyber warfare
- Infrastructure sabotage
- Disinformation
- Goal: Disrupt the U.S. without triggering full-scale conflict
6. Potential Attack Scenarios
- Drone swarms launched from Cuba could target:
- Military bases
- Airports
- Power grids
- Ports and fuel systems
- Even small attacks could cause:
- Economic disruption
- Public panic
7. U.S. Vulnerabilities
- Current weaknesses include:
- Limited counter-drone defenses
- Unprepared local law enforcement
- Vulnerable infrastructure
- Borders are a possible entry point for equipment or operatives
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Because Bess wants to put the tooth fairy on city payroll.
Also on homelessness at the Petry.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Earlier this week, you were talking about comprehensive health care
for the unhoused, and you talked about how many of
the unhoused because of their metheus lose their teeth.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
That's right. Who would pay for the dental care for
the unhoused?
Speaker 3 (00:20):
When I say comprehensive healthcare, it's actually what people can
get from medical You're listening to the forty seven Morning
Update with Ben ferguson.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Good Tuesday Morning nights to have you with us on
the forty seven Morning Update. You may have thought the
Cold War was over when it deals with Cuba, but
when it comes to Western Hemisphere.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
We may be all wrong.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
In fact, there's now major concerns in Cuba of a
massive buildup of drones from Iran and even Russia.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
So what could they do with these drones and.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Could they be used to attack the United States of America.
There's a lot on this issue, and I'm going to
give it all to you, But first let me tell
you real quick about Patriot Mobile, a company that's fighting
for what we believe in and you, switching your cell
phone provider could have a major impact on helping conservatives
fight like never before. America is entering the two hundred
(01:16):
and fiftieth year, and the direction of this country is
being decided right now in our culture and our economy,
and who we choose to support matters more than ever.
Most wireless companies don't care who you are or what
you believe.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
They just want your money. Patriot Mobile they're different.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
For more than twelve years, they've stood with Americans who
believe freedom is worth defending, funding the Christian Conservative movement
when others stay silent.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
That's what they do. So here's the deal.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
You don't have to give up quality or service when
you switch to Patriot Mobile. They deliver premium priority access
on all three major US networks, so you'll get the
same or better coverage than you have today. Think switching
as a hassle, It isn't anymore in twenty twenty six.
You keep your number, keep your phone, or upgrade, and
(02:08):
their one hundred percent US based support team can activate
you in minutes still paying off a device. Patriot Mobile
even offers a contract buyout. This is a defining year.
We must work together to save our country. So go
to patriotmobile dot com slash Ben forty seven or call
(02:28):
ninety seven to Patriot and if you use the promo
code Ben forty seven, you'll get a free month of service.
That's Patriotmobile dot com slash Ben forty seven or nine
seven to two Patriot and switch today. It's the forty
seven Morning Update and it starts right now.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Story number one.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
I want to start out by talking about what is
happening in Cuba. We know that the CIA director John
Radcliffe went down to Cuba and met with top leaders,
including some of those connected directly with a Castro family leadership.
And for decades Americans have also been told that the
Cold War is over, that the threats sitting just ninety
miles off the coast of Florida were relics of another error,
(03:11):
not now right, that was back in the day. Well,
there's growing real concern now inside the intelligence and military
circles that Cuba is once again becoming a staging ground
for America's adversaries. And this time the concern is not
Soviet nuclear missiles. It's drones, a lot of them, Iranian
(03:33):
drones and Russian drones, and the possibility that hostile regimes
are quietly building a launch platform with striking distance of
the United States of America. Ninety miles for a drone
is nothing, and let's be clear, they can also fly
very low. You could describe it as under the radar. Now,
(03:53):
there's no clear public evidence that Cuba has launched any
attacks on the United States of America or that an
imminent strike is about to happen or even underway. But
what is raising alarm bells is the increasing military cooperation
that we have seen between Cuba, Iran, and Russia and
even China. Now you think about the three countries that
(04:16):
hate the United States the most, Iran chance death to America, Russia,
we know hates America, and China, yes, they hate America.
All of these nations openly talk about their hostility to
American power and American influence. And if you think the
sounds far fetch, remember history. Back in nineteen sixty two,
(04:39):
you basically have the same type of leadership in Cuba,
and the Cuban Missile crisis brought America literally to the
brink of nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the
United States of America because Soviet weapons were placed on
that island. Today, the weapons are much smaller, they're a
lot cheaper, and they're harder to detect, and they're even
(05:01):
easier to get into a country. Modern drones have changed
warfare entirely. We've witnessed this on the battlefield in the
Middle East and especially between Ukraine and the Russia war.
Iran has become one of the world's leading exporters of
expensive but deadly drone technology. The Iranian drones, for example,
(05:23):
have been used extensively by the Russians in Ukraine.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
That's how good they are.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
And these drones are relatively cheap to produce, they're difficult
to intercept in large swarms, and they're capable of carrying
large explosives over long distances. Russia has used them to
terrorize civilian infrastructure, to attack power grids and overwhelm the
air defenses in Ukraine. Now imagine that type of technology
(05:53):
position in Cuba. Imagine dozens or hundreds and hundreds of
drones stored in wear houses, hidden and shipping containers, or
assembled in covert facilities just miles from the United States
of America's homeland. Suddenly, this changes everything from a military standpoint. Now,
(06:13):
experts warn that drones don't need massive runways or obvious
missile silos. They can be launched from trucks, they can
be launched from fields, they can be launched from cargo
ships or improvised sites that you never detected beforehand. And
a coordinated swarm attack targets ports. It can target military bases,
(06:35):
It can target our fuel depots, our airports, or even
civilian infrastructure that could create chaos for Americans. It could
also attack our power grid. And that's exactly why intelligence
officials in the US are increasingly focused on this type
of warfare. America's enemies know they cannot defeat the US
(06:57):
military head to head, so instead, what they've all decide
to do is look for ways to exploit our vulnerabilities,
create fear, disrupt our economy, and undermine public confidence. And
drones fit that strategy perfectly.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Now.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Over the past several years, Cuba has dramatically deepened its
ties not only with Russia. There's also another very interesting
data point. Over the last several years, Cuba has dramatically
deepened their ties with Moscow and Tehran. Russian naval vessels
have visited Cuba ports multiple times. Cuban officials have met
(07:35):
openly with Iranian leadership. Economic agreements have been agreed to
and signed. They've even signed intelligence cooperation, and they've signed
military coordination that have all expanded as these countries aligned
themselves against the United States of America. Now i RAN, meanwhile,
has aggressively expanded its influenced throughout Latin America. US officials
(07:59):
have re repeatedly and openly worn that Iranian networks have
been operating in Venezuela, They're operating in Nicaragua and other
parts of the region. Hes BLA linked operatives have re
portly used parts of Latin America for fundraising as well
as logistics and illicit finance operations for decades. Add drone
(08:20):
technology into this equation and suddenly the Western hemisphere starts
looking a lot more dangerous. And that brings us to
Donald Trump's whole promise to make sure that the Western
Hemisphere is safe. And there's another layer, by the way
of this story that you need to understand as well.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
That's the border crisis.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
For years, critics have warned that an unsecured southern border
creates vulnerabilities far beyond illegal immigration. If hostile foreign actors
wanted to move equipment, operatives, electronics or drone components into
the United States of America and overwhelmed borders system. Provided
that opportunity, you now combine those concerns of millions of
(09:05):
people who we don't know who they are, that are
in this country right now with averasaro regimes operating close
to US mainland. Who could even stage an attack that
is coordinated from people within the United States of America.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Imagine what that could look like.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Military analysts have increasingly warned about what's known as gray
zone warfare. That's actions deliberately designed to stay below the
threshold of open war while still damaging an enemy. Cyber attacks,
infrastructure sabotage, drone incursions, GPS interference, disinformation campaigns, as well
(09:43):
as economic disruption all on the table. In fact, many
of them have been used on the United States of
America by China and Russia. Now this is what has
been described to me as the battlefield of the future,
and America's enemies are watching this carefully. Russia has already
demonstrated how effective drone warfare can be in Ukraine. They've
(10:05):
actually really learned a lot and mastered the art. Iran
has shown how proxy groups armed with drones can threaten
US troops and allies across the Middle East. China is
also rapidly expanding its own drone and AI warfare capabilities.
The terrifying reality is that a drone doesn't need to
(10:26):
carry a massive explosive payload to cause major disruption. A
strike on an electrical substation, fuel pipeline, shipping port, or
crowded transportation hub could create panic as well as economic shockwaves,
which is exactly what Cuba, Russia, and China and Iran
would love to happen. So think about what happens when
(10:49):
small drones disrupt airports in Europe. Several years ago, all
the fights were grounded, the security systems were overwhelmed. Now
you do that type of coordinated at using military grade systems,
and it's on a whole other level.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Now.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
This is why national security experts are now increasingly calling
for stronger homeland defend systems, specifically focused on drone threats.
It's something the present has also agreed we need. Many
American military bases are still vulnerable to low flying drones.
Ports and civilian infrastructure often lack sophisticated counter drone systems,
(11:29):
and local law enforcement agencies are largely unprepared for mass
drone instances as well. Now, the Pentagon has spent billions
preparing for traditional warfare, but the next threat may not
come from bombers or missiles, but from swarms of inexpensive
unmanned aircraft launch very close to home. And Cuba's geographic
(11:51):
position matters enormously. From Havana to Key West, it's roughly
ninety miles. That's it, a relatively short flight from drone systems. Again,
this is all about looking at what could happen before
it happens, because history teaches us something important. Major threats
are often ignored until it's too late. Before nine to
(12:13):
eleven warnings existed before Pearl Harbor. There were warning signs
as well. Before the Cuban missile crisis exploded into public view,
Soviet activity was already well underway, and in the modern
air the speed of warfare house accelerated dramatically. A drome
swarm launch from close proximity could give decision makers only
(12:37):
minutes to react, and that is why the American public
should be aware of this. We shouldn't panic, but we
should absolutely pay attention to the growing military cooperation between Cuba,
Iran in Russia, and the present clearly as demanding stronger
border security, serious homeland security, defense investments, and aggressive intelligence monitoring. Now,
(13:00):
the real question is, if there is a large stockpile
of drones in Cuba, is it America's job to make
sure that we make those inoperable. I wouldn't be surprised
if that's on the table right now, and it's something
we should all be taking a look at and make
sure we understand. This is clearly an important moment that
(13:21):
should be on everyone's radar screen.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Thank you for listening to the forty seven Morning Update
with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever
you're listening to this podcast right now and for more
in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson podcast
and we will see you back here tomorrow
Because Bess wants to put the tooth fairy on city payroll.
Also on homelessness at the Petry.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Earlier this week, you were talking about comprehensive health care
for the unhoused, and you talked about how many of
the unhoused because of their metheus lose their teeth.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
That's right. Who would pay for the dental care for
the unhoused?
Speaker 3 (00:20):
When I say comprehensive healthcare, it's actually what people can
get from medical You're listening to the forty seven Morning
Update with Ben ferguson.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Good Tuesday Morning nights to have you with us on
the forty seven Morning Update. You may have thought the
Cold War was over when it deals with Cuba, but
when it comes to Western Hemisphere.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
We may be all wrong.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
In fact, there's now major concerns in Cuba of a
massive buildup of drones from Iran and even Russia.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
So what could they do with these drones and.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
Could they be used to attack the United States of America.
There's a lot on this issue, and I'm going to
give it all to you, But first let me tell
you real quick about Patriot Mobile, a company that's fighting
for what we believe in and you, switching your cell
phone provider could have a major impact on helping conservatives
fight like never before. America is entering the two hundred
(01:16):
and fiftieth year, and the direction of this country is
being decided right now in our culture and our economy,
and who we choose to support matters more than ever.
Most wireless companies don't care who you are or what
you believe.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
They just want your money. Patriot Mobile they're different.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
For more than twelve years, they've stood with Americans who
believe freedom is worth defending, funding the Christian Conservative movement
when others stay silent.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
That's what they do. So here's the deal.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
You don't have to give up quality or service when
you switch to Patriot Mobile. They deliver premium priority access
on all three major US networks, so you'll get the
same or better coverage than you have today. Think switching
as a hassle, It isn't anymore in twenty twenty six.
You keep your number, keep your phone, or upgrade, and
(02:08):
their one hundred percent US based support team can activate
you in minutes still paying off a device. Patriot Mobile
even offers a contract buyout. This is a defining year.
We must work together to save our country. So go
to patriotmobile dot com slash Ben forty seven or call
(02:28):
ninety seven to Patriot and if you use the promo
code Ben forty seven, you'll get a free month of service.
That's Patriotmobile dot com slash Ben forty seven or nine
seven to two Patriot and switch today. It's the forty
seven Morning Update and it starts right now.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Story number one.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
I want to start out by talking about what is
happening in Cuba. We know that the CIA director John
Radcliffe went down to Cuba and met with top leaders,
including some of those connected directly with a Castro family leadership.
And for decades Americans have also been told that the
Cold War is over, that the threats sitting just ninety
miles off the coast of Florida were relics of another error,
(03:11):
not now right, that was back in the day. Well,
there's growing real concern now inside the intelligence and military
circles that Cuba is once again becoming a staging ground
for America's adversaries. And this time the concern is not
Soviet nuclear missiles. It's drones, a lot of them, Iranian
(03:33):
drones and Russian drones, and the possibility that hostile regimes
are quietly building a launch platform with striking distance of
the United States of America. Ninety miles for a drone
is nothing, and let's be clear, they can also fly
very low. You could describe it as under the radar. Now,
(03:53):
there's no clear public evidence that Cuba has launched any
attacks on the United States of America or that an
imminent strike is about to happen or even underway. But
what is raising alarm bells is the increasing military cooperation
that we have seen between Cuba, Iran, and Russia and
even China. Now you think about the three countries that
(04:16):
hate the United States the most, Iran chance death to America, Russia,
we know hates America, and China, yes, they hate America.
All of these nations openly talk about their hostility to
American power and American influence. And if you think the
sounds far fetch, remember history. Back in nineteen sixty two,
(04:39):
you basically have the same type of leadership in Cuba,
and the Cuban Missile crisis brought America literally to the
brink of nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the
United States of America because Soviet weapons were placed on
that island. Today, the weapons are much smaller, they're a
lot cheaper, and they're harder to detect, and they're even
(05:01):
easier to get into a country. Modern drones have changed
warfare entirely. We've witnessed this on the battlefield in the
Middle East and especially between Ukraine and the Russia war.
Iran has become one of the world's leading exporters of
expensive but deadly drone technology. The Iranian drones, for example,
(05:23):
have been used extensively by the Russians in Ukraine.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
That's how good they are.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
And these drones are relatively cheap to produce, they're difficult
to intercept in large swarms, and they're capable of carrying
large explosives over long distances. Russia has used them to
terrorize civilian infrastructure, to attack power grids and overwhelm the
air defenses in Ukraine. Now imagine that type of technology
(05:53):
position in Cuba. Imagine dozens or hundreds and hundreds of
drones stored in wear houses, hidden and shipping containers, or
assembled in covert facilities just miles from the United States
of America's homeland. Suddenly, this changes everything from a military standpoint. Now,
(06:13):
experts warn that drones don't need massive runways or obvious
missile silos. They can be launched from trucks, they can
be launched from fields, they can be launched from cargo
ships or improvised sites that you never detected beforehand. And
a coordinated swarm attack targets ports. It can target military bases,
(06:35):
It can target our fuel depots, our airports, or even
civilian infrastructure that could create chaos for Americans. It could
also attack our power grid. And that's exactly why intelligence
officials in the US are increasingly focused on this type
of warfare. America's enemies know they cannot defeat the US
(06:57):
military head to head, so instead, what they've all decide
to do is look for ways to exploit our vulnerabilities,
create fear, disrupt our economy, and undermine public confidence. And
drones fit that strategy perfectly.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Now.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Over the past several years, Cuba has dramatically deepened its
ties not only with Russia. There's also another very interesting
data point. Over the last several years, Cuba has dramatically
deepened their ties with Moscow and Tehran. Russian naval vessels
have visited Cuba ports multiple times. Cuban officials have met
(07:35):
openly with Iranian leadership. Economic agreements have been agreed to
and signed. They've even signed intelligence cooperation, and they've signed
military coordination that have all expanded as these countries aligned
themselves against the United States of America. Now i RAN, meanwhile,
has aggressively expanded its influenced throughout Latin America. US officials
(07:59):
have re repeatedly and openly worn that Iranian networks have
been operating in Venezuela, They're operating in Nicaragua and other
parts of the region. Hes BLA linked operatives have re
portly used parts of Latin America for fundraising as well
as logistics and illicit finance operations for decades. Add drone
(08:20):
technology into this equation and suddenly the Western hemisphere starts
looking a lot more dangerous. And that brings us to
Donald Trump's whole promise to make sure that the Western
Hemisphere is safe. And there's another layer, by the way
of this story that you need to understand as well.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
That's the border crisis.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
For years, critics have warned that an unsecured southern border
creates vulnerabilities far beyond illegal immigration. If hostile foreign actors
wanted to move equipment, operatives, electronics or drone components into
the United States of America and overwhelmed borders system. Provided
that opportunity, you now combine those concerns of millions of
(09:05):
people who we don't know who they are, that are
in this country right now with averasaro regimes operating close
to US mainland. Who could even stage an attack that
is coordinated from people within the United States of America.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Imagine what that could look like.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Military analysts have increasingly warned about what's known as gray
zone warfare. That's actions deliberately designed to stay below the
threshold of open war while still damaging an enemy. Cyber attacks,
infrastructure sabotage, drone incursions, GPS interference, disinformation campaigns, as well
(09:43):
as economic disruption all on the table. In fact, many
of them have been used on the United States of
America by China and Russia. Now this is what has
been described to me as the battlefield of the future,
and America's enemies are watching this carefully. Russia has already
demonstrated how effective drone warfare can be in Ukraine. They've
(10:05):
actually really learned a lot and mastered the art. Iran
has shown how proxy groups armed with drones can threaten
US troops and allies across the Middle East. China is
also rapidly expanding its own drone and AI warfare capabilities.
The terrifying reality is that a drone doesn't need to
(10:26):
carry a massive explosive payload to cause major disruption. A
strike on an electrical substation, fuel pipeline, shipping port, or
crowded transportation hub could create panic as well as economic shockwaves,
which is exactly what Cuba, Russia, and China and Iran
would love to happen. So think about what happens when
(10:49):
small drones disrupt airports in Europe. Several years ago, all
the fights were grounded, the security systems were overwhelmed. Now
you do that type of coordinated at using military grade systems,
and it's on a whole other level.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Now.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
This is why national security experts are now increasingly calling
for stronger homeland defend systems, specifically focused on drone threats.
It's something the present has also agreed we need. Many
American military bases are still vulnerable to low flying drones.
Ports and civilian infrastructure often lack sophisticated counter drone systems,
(11:29):
and local law enforcement agencies are largely unprepared for mass
drone instances as well. Now, the Pentagon has spent billions
preparing for traditional warfare, but the next threat may not
come from bombers or missiles, but from swarms of inexpensive
unmanned aircraft launch very close to home. And Cuba's geographic
(11:51):
position matters enormously. From Havana to Key West, it's roughly
ninety miles. That's it, a relatively short flight from drone systems. Again,
this is all about looking at what could happen before
it happens, because history teaches us something important. Major threats
are often ignored until it's too late. Before nine to
(12:13):
eleven warnings existed before Pearl Harbor. There were warning signs
as well. Before the Cuban missile crisis exploded into public view,
Soviet activity was already well underway, and in the modern
air the speed of warfare house accelerated dramatically. A drome
swarm launch from close proximity could give decision makers only
(12:37):
minutes to react, and that is why the American public
should be aware of this. We shouldn't panic, but we
should absolutely pay attention to the growing military cooperation between Cuba,
Iran in Russia, and the present clearly as demanding stronger
border security, serious homeland security, defense investments, and aggressive intelligence monitoring. Now,
(13:00):
the real question is, if there is a large stockpile
of drones in Cuba, is it America's job to make
sure that we make those inoperable. I wouldn't be surprised
if that's on the table right now, and it's something
we should all be taking a look at and make
sure we understand. This is clearly an important moment that
(13:21):
should be on everyone's radar screen.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Thank you for listening to the forty seven Morning Update
with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever
you're listening to this podcast right now and for more
in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson podcast
and we will see you back here tomorrow
Host
Ben Ferguson
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