Trump administration weighs naval blockade to halt Cuban oil imports

[El Presidente]

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/23/trump-administration-weighs-naval-blockade-to-halt-cuban-oil-imports-00744708

Trump administration weighs naval blockade to halt Cuban oil imports

“Energy is the chokehold to kill” the Cuban regime, said a person familiar with the discussions.

 

A person watches the oil tanker Ocean Mariner, Monrovia, arrive to the bay in Havana, Cuba, Jan. 9, 2026. | Ramon Espinosa/AP

By Ben Lefebvre and Eric Bazail-Eimil01/23/2026 02:12 PM ESTUpdated: 01/23/2026 02:31 PM EST

• The Trump administration is weighing new tactics to drive regime change in Cuba, including imposing a total blockade on oil imports to the Caribbean country, three people familiar with the plan said Thursday.

That escalation has been sought by some critics of the Cuban government in the administration and backed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to two of the three people, who were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive discussions. No decision has been made on whether to approve that move, but it could be among the suite of possible actions presented to President Donald Trump to force the end of Cuba’s communist government, these people added.

Preventing shipments of crude oil to the island would be a step-up from Trump’s statement last week that the U.S. would halt Cuba’s imports of oil from Venezuela, which had been its main crude supplier.

 

 

 

But there are ongoing debates within the administration about whether it is even necessary to go that far, according to all three people. The loss of Venezuelan oil shipments — and the resale of some of those cargoes that Havana used to obtain foreign currency — has already throttled Cuba’s laggard economy. A total blockade of oil imports into Cuba could then spark a humanitarian crisis, a possibility that has led some in the administration to push back against it.

The discussions, however, show the extent to which people inside the Trump administration are considering deposing leaders in Latin America they view as adversaries.

“Energy is the chokehold to kill the regime,” said one person familiar with the plan who was granted anonymity to describe the private discussions. Deposing the country’s communist government – in power since the Cuban revolution in 1959 – is “100 percent a 2026 event” in the administration’s eyes, this person added.

The effort would be justified under the 1994 LIBERTAD Act, better known as the Helms-Burton Act, this person added. That law codifies the U.S. embargo on Cuban trade and financial transa

 

[MrBirdman]

You can’t do that unless you’re willing to fire on Mexican or Chinese tankers trying to run it. One can’t rule it out entirely with these lunatics but, even from a purely self-interested point of view, sinking an oil tanker in the Gulf is a really dumb idea.

[ImTripN2]

 "said a person familiar with the discussions."

Uh huh... please let us know if and when it actually happens.

 

[BrightonCorgi]

On 1/24/2026 at 10:13 AM, MrBirdman said:

You can’t do that unless you’re willing to fire on Mexican or Chinese tankers trying to run it. One can’t rule it out entirely with these lunatics but, even from a purely self-interested point of view, sinking an oil tanker in the Gulf is a really dumb idea.

They don't need to sink an oil tanker. Seize the tanker and divert to a different port or send back. The US could buy the oil if they wanted to be accommodating.

[MrBirdman]

On 1/25/2026 at 9:09 AM, BrightonCorgi said:

They don't need to sink an oil tanker. Seize the tanker and divert to a different port or send back. The US could buy the oil if they wanted to be accommodating.

That only works if they allow themselves to be boarded. Not uncommon at all for commercial vessels to carry armed guards either. 

[BrightonCorgi]

6 hours ago, MrBirdman said:

That only works if they allow themselves to be boarded. Not uncommon at all for commercial vessels to carry armed guards either. 

You really think some armed guards on a tanker are a match for the US Navy? Blackhawks and jets flying around. They'll be saying, "I am now the captain of the ship" quicker than all be.

[Ken Gargett]

2 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

You really think some armed guards on a tanker are a match for the US Navy?  Blackhawks and jets flying around.  They'll be saying "I am now the captain of the ship" quicker than all be.

attacking vessels from other nations in international waters will really add to the stability of the region and enhance the status of the US around the globe. perhaps one of the crew will be found to have a little pot in his pocket, so they will be able to justify it. 

not that i have any fondness for the communists at all, but sometimes the bigger picture can be useful or will the US be taking control there as well? 

[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, Ken Gargett said:

attacking vessels from other nations in international waters will really add to the stability of the region

Where have you been the last 5 months? 

1 hour ago, Ken Gargett said:

 and enhance the status of the US around the globe. 

I think all know that ship has sailed (excuse the pun). 

1 hour ago, Ken Gargett said:

 or will the US be taking control there as well? 

Couldn't be any worse than it is now. 

[Ken Gargett]

46 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Where have you been the last 5 months? 

I think all know that ship has sailed (excuse the pun). 

Couldn't be any worse than it is now. 

one lives in hope that some form of sanity will prevail. yes, i know, chances are not good. you are probably right. can't get much worse. although we have thought that about places before. 

[Wiclovis18]

I think this administration is going to attempt to take total control of this hemisphere - by any means necessary. A ship approaching a blockade is warned several hundred nautical miles before approach. Steaming ahead despite those warnings is what will cause something to turn kinetic.

[M777]

With the tariffs announced earlier on any country that sells or gifts oil to Cuba, the end of the regime looks closer than ever. 

[Christophe]

I'm sure they will. If you're interested in how this goes and what they are hoping to achieve, read about the collapse of the Soviet Union. How they denied it, then tried to reverse it, next tried to reform it.
It's so similar you'd think someone was using it as a handbook. Not a very good handbook though, because the thing still collapsed, dramatically. 

[BrightonCorgi]

6 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Where have you been the last 5 months? 

I think all know that ship has sailed (excuse the pun). 

Couldn't be any worse than it is now. 

Things could be a lot worse.  

[ImTripN2]

I'm prety sure we all can agree that a regime change in Cuba will be a good thing for the Cubanos. Question is, how to effect that change. Anyone have a better solution that economic pressure? I don't think a strongly worded letter will do it, and I don't see how a populace armed with sharpened sticks and rocks can overthrow a militarized government. 

[MrBirdman]

11 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

You really think some armed guards on a tanker are a match for the US Navy? Blackhawks and jets flying around. They'll be saying, "I am now the captain of the ship" quicker than all be.

That’s no different than firing on the ship. Same exact point still applies.

[BrightonCorgi]

10 minutes ago, MrBirdman said:

That’s no different than firing on the ship. Same exact point still applies.

The crew is going to roll over as soon as the US Navy attempts to board ship.  Crew members are not looking to risk their lives over this.

[yuppie]

Why are they so interested in regime change in Cuba?

[M777]

50 minutes ago, yuppie said:

Why are they so interested in regime change in Cuba?

Due to Russian interests in Cuba. 

[Christophe]

1 hour ago, ImTripN2 said:

I'm prety sure we all can agree that a regime change in Cuba will be a good thing for the Cubanos. Question is, how to effect that change. Anyone have a better solution that economic pressure? I don't think a strongly worded letter will do it, and I don't see how a populace armed with sharpened sticks and rocks can overthrow a militarized government. 

They're not interested in the populace overthrowing the non-US aligned government for the Cuban people's benefit, just in case the last 80 years of State Department-orchestrated foreign gov't overthrows didn't give that part away. They're interested in having an aligned elite in place.
All these liberal and humanitarian ideals are for mass consumption. Machiavelli spelled it out 6 centuries ago, and not that much has changed in politics, we just like to pretend it did.

[Christophe]

More like Chinese interests lately, but yeah pretty much.

An empire in decline retreats to its center and tried to protect the margins. Can't tolerate having a non-aligned island cozying up to the new emerging power 90 miles off of your coast, embargo or not.  Realistically, there's not that much the Russians or Chinese can do there, unless they intend to redo the whole "send nukes over there" thing. Something the Russians can't afford, and the Chinese don't have to do. 

However, the Chinese have allegedly been increasing their intelligence footprint on Cuba. 

[MrBirdman]

3 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

The crew is going to roll over as soon as the US Navy attempts to board ship.  Crew members are not looking to risk their lives over this.

I think you’re missing the point - you can’t just blindly assume that every ship will surrender without resistance in a blockade. You have to be prepared to use force - that’s my point. And you better believe countries like China will test whether the US would do so in an attempt to call their bluff. 

Furthermore, the coast guard has at most two or three boarding teams capable of those operations. It would be very easy to convoy ships to run the blockade. Then you’re left with the original option - let them call your bluff or use direct force.