FEBRUARY 27, 2025 – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, yesterday, where he took time to speak to service members who are currently supporting the illegal alien holding operations being led by the Department of Homeland Security.
This wasn’t Hegseth’s first visit to Cuba, as then-Army 2nd Lt. Hegseth was deployed to Guantanamo Bay from 2004 to 2005 with the New Jersey National Guard.
“I was here 20 years ago … I’ve been where you are, for a year, [and] I relate to the dynamics — the push and pull — and the sway of an operation; I get it,” Hegseth told the service members.
“The message that I have from [President Donald J. Trump] … to you is, we have your back. We’re going to back you up on what you have to do on behalf of the country,” Hegseth said.
He added that — in addition to hot meals, the opportunity to exercise and the availability of hot showers — what he valued most when he was stationed there 20 years earlier was the support from his chain of command.
Stating that the president was elected with “a mandate to get 100% operational control of our southern border,” Hegseth said the holding operations at Guantanamo Bay play a significant role in that process.
“Part of that [process] is mass deportations of folks — wherever they came from — who came here illegally, and Guantanamo Bay is a big part of that,” he said.
In explaining the vast breadth of the U.S. border enforcement mission, Hegseth told the service members that the character of the overall mission starts with them.
“The way you operate and the way you execute sets the tone for how the entire U.S. government and the American people are represented, so thank you on behalf of a grateful nation,” he said.
Hegseth also addressed the negative sentiment surrounding the Guantanamo Bay holding mission.
“We know what’s real, we know you’re professionals, we know how you operate, and we’re going to have your back in the execution of this mission across the spectrum,” he added.
Hegseth told the troops that their efforts were recognized throughout the chain of command.
“When you send the data and the stats up, and you wonder where [they go], it lands on my desk every day. I see and understand and know what you are doing here,” Hegseth said.
“That’s how important it is to the president and to [DOD, DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection] as we ramp up and execute this mission,” he added.
Hegseth also said that the work being done at Guantanamo Bay is central to the current administration’s overall message concerning the border.
“From our view, [Guantanamo Bay holding operations are] central to what we’re doing and [to] the message we’re sending to the world — which is that our border is closed,” he said, adding that the current administration “means business,” and that the service members at Guantanamo Bay are at “the tip of the spear” to make that happen.
“[So], keep executing [and] keep driving on with the professionalism that I know you will display,” he said.
Hegseth announced that Guantanamo Bay would be used for illegal alien holding operations Jan. 29, 2025, following a presidential announcement earlier in the day.
According to the U.S. Southern Command, more than 150 Marines and soldiers were at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay supporting holding operations as of Feb. 3, 2025.
By Matthew Olay, DOD News