China’s Cuba Surveillance Surge Sparks Capitol Hill Fears of U.S. Spying Threat

Washington, D.C. – Fresh satellite images revealing a beefed-up surveillance setup in Cuba have Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill sounding the alarm over China’s growing footprint just 90 miles from U.S. shores. A new antenna array at the Bejucal signals intelligence site near Havana could snoop on radio signals from up to 8,000 miles away, putting U.S. military bases and even the nation’s capital in its crosshairs.

House Intel Chairman Rick Crawford didn’t mince words, calling China’s cozy ties with Cuba a decades-long threat to U.S. security. “The Chinese Communist Party’s bold moves in Cuba are a direct challenge to our national interests,” he said, urging stronger action to counter Beijing’s influence in the Western Hemisphere.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies flagged the new circular antenna array, noting its potential to monitor sensitive U.S. installations like Naval Station Guantánamo Bay and Cape Canaveral. Lawmakers, including Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green and China Committee Chair John Moolenaar, warned that China’s strategic positioning in Cuba could erode U.S. advantages without firing a shot. They’ve demanded a briefing from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to address the escalating concerns.

Cuba’s history as a spying hub for U.S. adversaries isn’t new. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union ran a major surveillance operation near Havana. After Russia’s exit, China stepped in, funneling billions into Cuban infrastructure, including telecom networks tied to sanctioned firms like Huawei. While Beijing denies any spying activities, U.S. officials remain skeptical, pointing to upgraded intelligence sites amid Cuba’s deepening economic reliance on China.

“Cuba’s giving China a front-row seat to America’s backyard,” one lawmaker quipped. If unchecked, these moves could bolster China’s ability to disrupt U.S. communications or influence regional politics, lawmakers warn. The stakes? Nothing less than America’s security in its own hemisphere.