A directive came straight from the Trump White House in recent days: the Pentagon and other U.S. government agencies must ramp up preparations for possible military operations against Cuba. The order was confirmed by two sources familiar with the situation.

Trump hasn’t been subtle. On Monday he said: “We may stop by Cuba after we’re finished with this,” referring to the Iran war. Weeks earlier, he said he’d have the “honor” of “taking Cuba” and floated a “friendly takeover” of Havana. The precedent speaks for itself: in January, he captured Maduro in Venezuela.

The backdrop is dire. The U.S. cut off Venezuelan oil to the island after Maduro’s fall, and an executive order slaps tariffs on any country selling crude to Cuba. The result: massive blackouts lasting over 29 hours, fuel shortages, and limited access to food and medicine.