The US is "ready to invade Cuba immediately", according to an explosive new report which revealed a huge military build-up next to the communist island.
The US Department of Defence has spent months positioning troops and weapons needed for an American invasion of the island territory - and just needs the green light from Donald Trump.
The President is said to have put forward plans to takeover the island after Cuba's communist regime failed to be toppled by economic and political pressure, according to Politico.
The US Navy's presence in the region - which lies just 90 miles off the coast of Florida - is now the second largest anywhere in the world, only behind its build-up in the Middle East.
Washington has significantly ramped up pressure on Havana since the daring capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro in January.
The US has intercepted oil deliveries bound for Cuba from other countries and assumed control of Venezuela's petroleum supplies, effectively severing the island nation's energy lifeline.
Shortly after Mr Maduro arrived in New York, Mr Trump told reporters he believed he would "have the honour of taking Cuba".
And on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio - himself the son of Cuban immigrants - warned the country was “in a lot of trouble".
Mr Trump told reporters he believed he would 'have the honour of taking Cuba'
| GETTYIn a full Cabinet meeting, Mr Rubio said that having a "failed state" on America's doorstep presented a "threat to the national security".
The Pentagon's build-up in the region is understood to be slightly smaller than the armada which massed around Venezuela prior to the previous military operation.
In May, the USS Nimitz aircraft strike carrier group arrived in the Caribbean, alongside a number of guided missile destroyers capable to carrying out precision missile attacks on the island.
Flight tracking websites have shown a number of US drones and surveillance aircraft surrounding Cuba over the past few months.
US NEWS - READ THE LATEST:
Marco Rubio - himself the son of Cuban immigrants - warned that Havana was 'in a lot of trouble' on Wednesday
| REUTERSThe USS Nimitz's arrival to the region came on the same day when the US slapped an indictment on former Cuban President Raul Castro.
Mark Cancian, a senior analyst at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, told Politico the strike carrier group's arrival "is likely there primarily for intimidation, though it could be used in a military operation if needed".
However, the Trump administration would need to act swiftly - with many of the US Navy's largest warships now approaching 10 months at sea in a row.
Pentagon officials are said to be wary of overextending naval crews, with much of the wider force's energy already being taken up by the blockade of Iranian ships in the Arabian Gulf.
In May, the USS Nimitz aircraft strike carrier group arrived in the Caribbean
|GETTY
One defence official, speaking anonymously, told Politico: “These back-to-back long deployments will add up over time.
“Keeping them out there so long creates more problems in the long run when it comes to refitting and repairing those ships once they come home.”
Meanwhile, retired Marine Corps officer Joe Plenzler told the outlet: “You don’t sign up for an easy time, you know any deployment is going to be uncertain.
“But extending deployments like this, when it feels really open-ended, that starts to bleed into retention.
"How much more likely am I able to convince my family to do another enlistment and stick with it?”
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter