Then U.S. Marine Corps. Lt. Gen. Francis Donovan looks on during a Senate Armed Services Committee Confirmation Hearing on Capitol Hill, on Jan. 15, 2026. Tom Brenner/Getty Images
The U.S. military is not rehearsing for an invasion of Cuba or actively preparing to take over the island, the general in charge of American forces in Latin America told lawmakers in Washington on March 19.
Gen. Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, said the United States is ready to defend its naval base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, to address any threats to the U.S. embassy, and to support White House efforts to address any mass migration from the island, if needed.
