Rubio Urges Cubans to Work 'Discreetly' With the CIA as Trump Jokes About Sending Him to Havana

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday urged Cubans who want political change to quietly work with the CIA, while President Trump floated sending Rubio to the island to cut a deal.

The message. Rubio wrote on X: "To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba - now is the time. The disappointment of failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of only a few; seize this opportunity to create the change you desire through a discrete partnership with the CIA." Fox says the post did not identify a specific operation or explain what such cooperation would involve.

The rally remarks. At a midterm rally in Fort Myers, Florida, Trump said, "Don't worry. We'll take care of Cuba on our way back from Iran with it." He said the ships passing Cuba could have one stop "about 50 yards off the coast," and that "they'll raise up their hands." Then, he said, "we're going to send Marco Rubio in to finish up the deal. We don't even have to stop. We could just put him in there and he'll figure it out. He's a great guy."

What is missing. Fox says Trump gave no details about any proposed agreement and did not make clear whether his words reflected an actual military or diplomatic plan. Fox reached out to the CIA, the State Department, the White House and the Cuban Embassy for comment.

Background. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has long pushed a tougher line on Havana and opposed normalizing relations without political reforms. Fox recalls he recently called the communist regime an "espionage superpower" that has infiltrated the U.S. with spies. Fox also points to new sanctions that reach beyond U.S. companies to foreign enablers of the Cuban government.

Note for readers: this is an official social media post and rally remarks, not a policy announcement. We could not confirm any plan from the text we reviewed.