The Center for Strategic and International Studies released updated satellite analysis Wednesday showing that a major signals intelligence facility outside Havana used by Chinese and Russian personnel has expanded significantly in recent years, raising new concerns about foreign surveillance of U.S. military installations along the Florida coast.
The Bejucal facility, located roughly 90 miles from Key West, now includes a new circularly disposed antenna array, or CDAA, that replaced a smaller, older version at the site. CDAAs are used for high-frequency direction finding and can identify the origin of radio signals across thousands of miles, according to CSIS.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently confirmed that Cuba hosts Russian and Chinese intelligence infrastructure near Florida. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), went further, calling it “a big threat” to U.S. military operations in the region.
“They’re 90 miles from our coast. They’re friends with our enemies,” Scott told Fox News Digital. “It’s a very significant risk to us.”
U.S. officials cited in a Wall Street Journal report said Chinese and Russian intelligence personnel and capabilities in Cuba have expanded substantially in recent years. The report renewed scrutiny of the island’s role in foreign intelligence collection targeting the United States.
Matthew Funaiole, a fellow at CSIS, said the expanded facility is most useful for tracking movement and communication patterns rather than directly reading encrypted messages.
“You might not know what one system talking to another system is saying, but you know that they talk to each other,” Funaiole told Fox News Digital. “Over time that helps reveal operational patterns.”
He said systems like the CDAA at Bejucal can help adversaries track electronic signatures, identify when unusual military activity is occurring and understand how U.S. assets communicate with one another.
Nearby installations facing potential monitoring include Naval Air Station Key West, which supports military aviation training and testing, and Homestead Air Reserve Base, which houses fighter aircraft and homeland defense operations. Cape Canaveral launch activity is also within range of the facility, according to Scott.
The Trump administration has moved to increase pressure on Havana in recent months through expanded sanctions and criminal charges filed against former Cuban leader Raul Castro. Officials have cited the growing Chinese and Russian intelligence presence on the island as part of that pressure campaign.
CSIS first identified the new construction at Bejucal in a May 2025 report. The organization noted that similar Chinese-built antenna arrays have appeared at military outposts in other countries, suggesting a deliberate expansion of Beijing’s signals intelligence infrastructure overseas.
