House Homeland Security lawmakers held a hearing in Washington, D.C. to examine China’s expanding intelligence operations in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. They attributed the activity to a deliberate effort by the Chinese Communist Party to build asymmetric surveillance capabilities near U.S. shores that threaten national security.
Experts and lawmakers cited four suspected Chinese signals intelligence facilities in Cuba, including Bejucal and El Salao, with ongoing upgrades and strategic proximity to key U.S. military and space sites.
A July 2024 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies identified these sites, noting over $8 billion in Chinese funding for Cuban infrastructure, adding that Bejucal “continues to undergo significant upgrades” for wideband electromagnetic surveillance.
The committee requested detailed Department of Homeland Security threat assessments and briefings to address surveillance risks, signaling growing concern over China’s intelligence foothold so close to the U.S.
