China-linked Spy Site in Cuba is Now Fully Operational

Satellite imagery now shows a major Cuban listening site near Havana has been rebuilt into a far larger antenna array, but public proof of Chinese control still remains incomplete.

Quick Take

CSIS says construction at Bejucal appears complete and the site has likely begun operating.
The new setup is a 32-antenna circularly disposed antenna array built over a former linear grid.
CSIS also says no clear public evidence proves China is running the site.
The case adds fresh weight to long-running fears about foreign surveillance near the United States.

Bejucal’s New Shape Raises New Questions

Commercial satellite images show major changes at Bejucal, a Cuban signals intelligence site near Havana. The Center for Strategic and International Studies says work there is now complete on a large circularly disposed antenna array, or CDAA, and that the site has very likely begun operating. The new array has 32 antennas, with 19 on the outer ring and 13 inside it, making it larger than any Cuban CDAA CSIS had previously seen.^[3]

That buildout matters because CDAAs are used for high-frequency direction finding. In plain terms, they can help intercept and locate radio signals across a wide range of frequencies. CSIS says the Bejucal antenna field was converted from a linear grid into this circular layout over the last two years. The site sits in a long-suspected intelligence zone that has drawn attention since the Cold War.^[2]^[3]

What the Public Record Shows, and What It Does Not

The strongest public evidence supports a narrow claim: Bejucal is changing in ways that fit signals intelligence work. CSIS calls it Cuba’s largest active signals intelligence site and says the facility has long been linked to China in public reporting, congressional testimony, and statements by United States officials. But CSIS also says there is no clear publicly available evidence proving Chinese involvement there.^[2]^[3]

That gap is the heart of the dispute. Supporters of the China link point to the scale of the buildout, the site’s history, and the wider pattern of suspected Chinese intelligence activity in Cuba. Skeptics point out that antennas do not prove ownership, and that Cuban military or civilian communications uses can also explain some infrastructure. Even CSIS leaves room for a Cuban-only operating explanation while saying the site is likely among those supporting Chinese intelligence collection.^[1]^[3]^[6]

Why the Site Matters to Washington

Bejucal is not just a local Cuban facility in the public debate. It sits close enough to the United States to matter for military and communications monitoring, and the larger array could improve collection across the Caribbean and the southeastern United States. Reporting based on CSIS imagery says the site may help track sensitive air, maritime, and radio traffic. That is why the story keeps returning to Washington, even as attribution remains contested.^[1]^[3]^[5]

China's spy base at Bejucal in Cuba went operational this week, confirmed by new satellite imagery, while Washington's fuel blockade pushes the island toward collapse and a fresh migration wave. A breakdown:

1) CSIS published satellite imagery on June 18 confirming Bejucal,…

— Shaiel Ben-Ephraim (@academic_la) June 19, 2026

The larger political lesson is simple: this story fits a broader pattern where governments, intelligence services, and think tanks reveal fragments, not full answers. Satellite imagery can show excavation, new antennas, fencing, and hardened sites. It cannot always show who gave the orders. That leaves room for real security concerns, but also for overreach, rumor, and selective framing, especially when tensions between the United States, Cuba, and China are already high.^[2]^[6]^[7]