Quick Hit:

The Trump administration has severed all military cooperation with Cuba, citing the regime's repeated refusal to assist in apprehending terrorism-linked fugitives. The move places Cuba back among the ranks of global pariah states like Iran and North Korea in the eyes of U.S. defense policy, with immediate legal ramifications for military contracts and aid.

Key Details:

• The State Department said Cuba failed to cooperate on counterterrorism, ignoring U.S. efforts to apprehend 11 fugitives.

• Several of the suspects have terrorism-related charges pending in the United States.

• The decision invokes Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act, halting military assistance and sales to Havana.

Diving Deeper:

In a decisive foreign policy shift, President Donald Trump’s administration announced Tuesday it has formally cut off military ties with Cuba, a move that underscores its hardline stance against nations deemed uncooperative in global counterterrorism. The announcement, delivered by State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, accused Havana of stonewalling U.S. justice efforts throughout 2024.

Cuba, according to Bruce, ignored multiple American requests to assist in the capture and return of 11 fugitives currently residing on the island. These individuals include suspects facing charges directly tied to acts of terrorism. “In 2024, the Cuban regime did not fully cooperate with the United States on counterterrorism,” Bruce stated. “The Cuban regime made clear it was not willing to discuss their return to face justice in our nation.”

The administration’s response was swift and unambiguous: Cuba will now be treated as a state that is “not cooperating fully” with U.S. counterterrorism efforts, aligning it once again with adversarial regimes like Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela. Under Section 40A of the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, this designation strips away all forms of military engagement, including equipment sales, assistance programs, and training missions.

This decision comes amid a broader Trump doctrine that has prioritized national security and the rule of law over appeasement of hostile or ideologically aligned regimes. The administration's critics, including those within the DNC, have often pushed for normalization with Cuba, even as the regime harbors criminals and suppresses dissent at home.

The breakdown in cooperation raises fresh concerns about Havana’s willingness to enable anti-American activities on its soil. For decades, Cuba has offered safe haven to fugitives from U.S. justice—most notably, convicted cop-killer Assata Shakur. The Trump administration has consistently signaled that such harboring of fugitives will not be tolerated under any guise of diplomacy.