Analysts have identified four electronic eavesdropping stations, including a previously unreported site near a U.S. naval base.

By Warren P. Strobel | Published by Wall Street Journal

Summary

A new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) highlights the expansion of Cuba’s electronic eavesdropping stations, believed to be linked to China. This includes new construction at a previously unreported site approximately 70 miles from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

Former officials and analysts are concerned that China is leveraging Cuba’s proximity to the southeastern U.S. to intercept sensitive electronic communications from American military bases, space-launch facilities, and military and commercial shipping. There is also a concern that these facilities could be used to spy on U.S. citizens through telecommunications networks.

The CSIS report, which analyzed satellite imagery over the years, identified four sites at Bejucal, El Salao, Wajay, and Calabazar, where Cuba has significantly upgraded and expanded its electronic spying capabilities. Two of the sites near Havana, Bejucal and Calabazar, contain large dish antennas that appear to be designed for satellite monitoring and communication, which would be beneficial for China with its substantial space program.

The newest site, still under construction at El Salao, is located outside the city of Santiago de Cuba, not far from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo. Construction began in 2021, and the site is expected to house a large formation of antennas known as a circularly disposed antenna array, which can be used to detect and intercept electronic signals. This site, once completed, could potentially monitor communications and other electronic signals coming from the Guantanamo base.

The CSIS report also notes that during the Cold War, the Soviet Union operated a significant overseas site for electronic spying at Lourdes, just outside Havana. This site, which closed down after 2001, reportedly hosted hundreds of Soviet, Cuban, and other Eastern-bloc intelligence officers. China has since taken up a more prominent role on the island and, according to a White House statement last year, upgraded its intelligence collection facilities in Cuba in 2019.

The expansion of these facilities comes amid growing concerns about great power competition in the Caribbean and Latin America, where the U.S. has historically sought to prevent rivals from gaining military and economic advantages. China’s activities in the region, including the construction of a megaport on Peru’s Pacific coast and Russia’s recent naval visits to Cuba, are closely watched by U.S. officials and analysts.

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