The White House is evaluating aggressive new strategies aimed at a transition of power in Cuba, potentially including a complete halt of all oil deliveries to the island nation, according to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Politico.
This harder line is being championed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other administration officials critical of the Cuban regime, according to the sources.
Although no final determination has been reached, this strategy is expected to be included in a list of options provided to President Donald Trump aimed at dismantling Cuba’s communist system.
A complete ban on oil shipments would be a major escalation from the administration’s previous focus on disrupting Venezuelan exports, which have traditionally been Cuba’s top source of crude.
There is some friction on whether or not Trump should proceed with such a bold move, with Cuba’s economy already having taken a serious hit with the drawback of Venezuelan oil shipments.
One person familiar with the plan told Politico that ‘Energy is the chokehold to kill the regime.’
‘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,’ the source added.
This plan would be legally authorized under the Helms-Burton Act (officially the 1994 LIBERTAD Act). This law is what officially mandates and defines the U.S. restrictions on Cuban commerce and financial activities.
The view of a Cuban tanker ship at Matanzas Bay in Matanzas, Cuba, 21 January 2026. The closure of Venezuelan oil supplies after the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US forces has heightened Cuba’s fuel shortages, leading to long queues at gas stations and renewed concerns over energy and supply disruptions on the island
Although no final determination has been reached, this strategy is expected to be included in a list of options provided to President Donald Trump aimed at dismantling Cuba’s communist system
A person watches the oil tanker Ocean Mariner, Monrovia, arrive to the bay in Havana, Cuba
Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined President Trump in expressing a surge of optimism that the end of the Castro-founded government is imminent
Following U.S. efforts to seize sanctioned Venezuelan cargo, Mexico has emerged as the leading provider of oil to Cuba. These enforcement actions by Trump has disrupted the long-standing energy bond between Havana and Caracas.
Currently, according to data from the International Energy Agency, imported fuel accounts for about 60 percent of Cuba’s total oil consumption. Mexico charges Cuba for imported oil.
Fresh off the high-stakes operation that saw Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro taken into custody, the Trump administration has clearly shifted its crosshairs to Cuba.
Top administration officials are reportedly convinced that the island’s iron-fisted communist government is finally primed for a fall, arguing that Havana’s economy is currently at its most vulnerable state in decades.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined President Trump in expressing a surge of optimism that the end of the Castro-founded government is imminent.
Hardline GOP members had already signaled their support for a total ban on Cuba’s energy supplies.
During a short interview last week, Senator Rick Scott emphasized this stance, saying, ‘There should be not a dime, no petroleum. Nothing should ever get to Cuba.’
The administration’s logic is simple: now that Venezuela’s economic lifeline has been severed following Maduro’s dramatic exit, Cuba is standing on financial quicksand.
Cuba’s embassy and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
