Why Is Rep. Carlos Giménez Shielding a Defense Dept Contractor Operating Under Cuban Military Oversight?

These revelations are sending shockwaves through Miami’s anti-Cuban regime establishment.

As Transportation Subcommittee Chair, Florida Congressman Carlos Giménez is ignoring Crowley Maritime’s cargo and freight operations in Cuba while targeting only China’s Communist Party influence.

Giménez’s Security Act of 2023, co-sponsored with Rep. John Raymond Garamendi, addresses Chinese operations but sidesteps Cuba’s ties to a U.S. Department of Defense contractor—and the risks this poses to national security.

Crowley Maritime, a DoD contractor holding $2.3 billion in Defense Freight Transportation Services (DFTS) contracts and $343 million in Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) contracts, has operated in Cuba since 2001 under authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The company manages cargo at Cuba’s Mariel Port under Cuban military oversight and with ties to Chinese investment.

Cuba–China Threat: Cuba’s Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) sites—Bejucal, Wajay, Calabazar, and El Salao—have been operational since 1992 and were upgraded in 2019 and 2025. These facilities monitor U.S. military communications, track Cape Canaveral launches, and spy on Guantánamo Bay. Bejucal’s new Circularly Disposed Antenna Array (CDAA) and Wajay’s 12-antenna complex significantly enhance these capabilities.

Cuban dictator Miguel Díaz‑Canel Bermúdez is seen participating in a Crowley Maritime Co. event in Havana, Cuba.

Congressman Giménez’s “efforts” to safeguard U.S. ports from Chinese Communist Party influence appear to protect American infrastructure, yet his initiative conspicuously omits Cuba’s role—particularly operations involving Crowley Maritime, a contractor with direct DoD ties.

By managing cargo through Mariel Port under Cuban military supervision and Chinese financial involvement, Crowley potentially creates a security vulnerability. Its DoD contracts link directly to critical U.S. military logistics, which could be exposed to espionage risks—especially given Cuba’s deep SIGINT collaboration with China.

Rep. Giménez’s selective focus on China, while ignoring this Cuba–Crowley–DoD nexus, suggests either willful blindness or a politically motivated choice to avoid confronting the Cuban regime, undermining national security for the sake of convenience. In South Florida politics, he is frequently regarded—at least in rhetoric—as a vocal “anti-Cuban regime” opponent, which makes his silence on this matter all the more striking.

These revelations are sending shockwaves through Miami’s anti-Cuban regime establishment, challenging long-held narratives and alliances. The fallout has been so significant that online influencers such as Leo Brito have dropped reels that have drawn substantial attention—clips that are not only trending but are also nurturing a new current of thought within the community.