Marco Rubio posts fake CIA job offer for Cuba
The gist
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly urged Cubans to seek a "discrete partnership with the CIA," and the agency posted a Spanish-language how-to guide.
The open call is a sharp escalation of US pressure on Havana's Communist government.
How it unfolded
- Oct 23, 2026Rubio posted on X urging Cubans to seek a "discrete [sic] partnership with the CIA," saying "now is the time." Within hours the CIA posted a Spanish-language video and a seven-step guide telling prospective informants to use a device not linked to their identity, incognito mode, a disposable email account and a VPN not located in Cuba, Russia, Iran or China.
- Oct 23, 2026At a rally in Fort Myers, Florida, Trump said warships returning from Iran could stop near Cuba and he would send Rubio in to "finish up the deal."
- Oct 24, 2026Southern Command, the Pentagon's branch for Latin America, reposted the appeal with a statement from commander General Francis Donovan saying "now is the time."