PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 15th, 2026: CIA Director Makes Secret Visit To Cuba & FBI Hunts For Ex-U.S. Intel Agent Turned Iranian Spy

Summary

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The President's Daily Brief – Afternoon Bulletin

Date: May 15, 2026
Host: Mike Baker (Former CIA Operations Officer)
Episode Theme:
Major foreign intelligence developments: CIA director's rare visit to Cuba amidst crisis and FBI's renewed hunt for an ex-U.S. intelligence agent turned Iranian spy.

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1. Overview

This episode covers two major developments in U.S. intelligence and foreign affairs:

• The CIA director’s unprecedented visit to Cuba following mass protests and energy shortages.
• The FBI’s renewed efforts, including a hefty reward, to capture former Air Force counterintelligence agent Monica Witt, wanted for espionage on behalf of Iran.

Mike Baker provides context, strategic implications, and direct analysis, drawing on his intelligence background.

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. CIA Director's Secret Visit to Cuba

[00:42–06:36]

• Backdrop:

  • Widespread protests exploded across Havana due to catastrophic blackouts and fuel shortages.
  • “Cuba is currently facing one of the worst energy crises in its modern history... parts of Havana are enduring blackouts lasting nearly a full day at a time. Those shortages triggered some of the largest street protests Cuba has seen in months.” (Mike Baker, 02:44)

• CIA Director John Radcliffe’s Visit:

  • Radcliffe arrived quietly for high-level talks with Cuban intelligence and government officials.
  • Brought a direct message from President Trump: the U.S. is ready to “seriously engage with Cuba on economic and security issues, but only if Havana agrees to what the administration describes as ‘fundamental changes’.” (01:49)

• Diplomatic Rarity:

  • Only the second known visit by a CIA director since the 1959 Cuban Revolution.
  • “A remarkable moment of direct engagement between two governments whose relationship has remained openly hostile for decades.” (02:34)

• Dual U.S. Strategy:

  • Aggressive sanctions/fuel blockade to weaken the regime, paired with offers for diplomatic engagement.
  • The U.S. holds Cuba responsible for allowing adversaries to operate in Havana (China, Russia, Iran).

• Cuban Government Response:

  • Acknowledged the meeting took place at Washington’s request.
  • Stated both sides want to “expand cooperation between law enforcement and intelligence agencies.”
  • Asserted that “Cuba does not pose a threat to the U.S.” and “does not sponsor terrorism or host foreign military bases.” (Quoted summary; Cuban official statement, approx. 04:55)

• Continued U.S. Pressure:

  • Simultaneous preparations for indicting former leader Raul Castro over the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shoot down.
  • Signals an “increasingly aggressive US posture toward Havana, timed with Washington’s quiet exploration of direct engagement.” (Mike Baker, 05:43)

• Leverage and Warning:

  • Mike Baker highlights:
    “Ratcliffe made it clear that this diplomatic opening will not last indefinitely.” (06:10)
    “Ratcliffe also warned Cuban officials that President Trump should be taken seriously, reportedly pointing to the US Operation earlier this year that removed Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro as an example of how quickly ... Washington’s posture ... can shift.” (06:18)

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II. FBI’s Hunt for Monica Witt: The Ex-Intel Agent Turned Iranian Spy

[09:43–13:06]

• Reward Announcement:

  • FBI offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to Monica Witt’s capture.

• Witt’s Background:

  • Former Air Force intelligence analyst and special agent (1997–2008); government contractor until 2010.
  • Had access to classified material, including undercover U.S. personnel identities.

• Alleged Espionage:

  • Defected to Iran in 2013.
  • Accused of revealing U.S. secrets; exposed intel programs and identities, endangering U.S. personnel and families.
  • Helped Iran’s IRGC identify and target her former colleagues.

• Ongoing Threat:

  • FBI believes she continues to support the Iranian regime’s intelligence and cyber operations.
  • May use aliases “Fatima Zahra” or “Narjez Witt” and speaks fluent Farsi.

• Strategic Timing:

  • FBI’s renewed push comes at a volatile time in U.S.–Iran relations.
  • Baker notes: “The bureau’s decision to suddenly announce a large reward comes amid one of the most volatile periods in recent memory between Washington and Tehran ... current instability surrounding Iran may create an opportunity to finally capture her.” (11:00)

• Quote from FBI (via Baker):

  • “During this critical moment in Iran’s history, there is someone who knows something about her whereabouts.” (11:59)
    — Attributed to the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division.

• Wider Significance:

  • Reflects ongoing U.S. concern over Iranian espionage and broader counterintelligence threats.

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3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the gravity of the Cuba visit:

  • "A rare opportunity for the struggling communist island as long as their government is willing to come to the table on the White House’s terms.” (03:50)

• On direct warning to Cuba:

  • “Ratcliffe also warned Cuban officials that President Trump should be taken seriously.” (06:18)

• On the FBI’s urgency regarding Witt:

  • “This is more than a decade old, but the Bureau’s decision to suddenly announce a large reward comes amid one of the most volatile periods in recent memory between Washington and Tehran.” (10:59)
  • “There is someone who knows something about her whereabouts.” (11:59)

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4. Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Opening and overview of episode | 00:42 | | Protests and fuel crisis in Cuba | 01:20–02:44 | | CIA Director's arrival & engagement with Cuba | 02:45–05:00 | | U.S. policy shifts and warnings to Havana | 05:01–06:36 | | FBI’s new reward for Monica Witt & her background | 09:43–11:30 | | FBI's rationale and urgency | 11:31–13:06 |

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5. Conclusion & Next Steps

• The U.S. is leveraging both pressure and diplomacy in Cuba, hoping the current crisis will drive change—but with clear warnings that the window is limited.
• On the national security front, the FBI heightened efforts to track and capture significant intelligence threats, such as Monica Witt, in the context of ongoing instability in U.S.–Iranian relations.

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Host Mike Baker closes by encouraging listener questions and previewing further in-depth analysis on upcoming shows.

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Summary prepared for: The President’s Daily Brief Podcast, May 15th, 2026 Afternoon Bulletin

Transcript

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[Mike Baker]

It's Friday the 15th of May. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, just hours after protests erupted across Havana over catastrophic blackouts and fuel shortages, CIA Director John Radcliffe quietly arrived in Cuba for rare high level talks with senior regime officials. I'll have the details later in the show. A former US Intelligence operative accused of defecting to Iran is suddenly back in the spotlight as the FBI launches a renewed push to finally bring her to justice for exposing classified American secrets to the regime. But first, the afternoon spotlight. We begin with a major update concerning Cuba, where the Trump administration appears to be pursuing a two track strategy toward Havana, escalating pressure on the island's communist government while simultaneously reopening rare high level talks behind the scenes. Just hours after widespread protests erupted across Savannah over fuel shortages and blackouts, CIA Director John Radcliffe quietly arrived in Cuba on Thursday from meetings with senior Cuban intelligence and government officials. According to Reuters, Ratcliffe delivered a message directly from President Trump stating that the US Is prepared to, quote, seriously engage with Cuba on economic and security issues, but only if Havana agrees to what the administration describes as, quote, fundamental changes. The Cuban government later confirmed the talks, saying the meeting took place at Washington's request. Now, I'd like to point out that the visit itself is highly unusual. The trip marks only the second known visit by a CIA director to Cuba since Fidel Castro's communist revolution back in 1959, a remarkable moment of direct engagement between two governments whose relationship has remained openly hostile for decades. And the timing, of course, is impossible to ignore. As we discussed earlier on the pdb, Cuba is currently facing one of the worst energy crises in its modern history. The government has admitted that the island has effectively run out of diesel and fuel oil, while parts of Havana are enduring blackouts lasting nearly a full day at a time. Those shortages triggered some of the largest street protests Cuba has seen in months. On Wednesday, with demonstrators blocking roads, burning trash and chanting for electricity as frustration spilled into the streets. Just one day later, the CIA director showed up in the country. Now as A brief reminder, the Trump administration has dramatically intensified pressure on Havana in recent months. Washington has effectively imposed a fuel blockade on the island by threatening sanctions and tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba. It's a move the Cuban government directly blames for accelerating the collapse of the island's electrical grid and economy. With the Cuban regime in a weakened state, it appears that the Trump administration may now be ready for the next phase of their Latin America strategy, or at least see an opportunity to push Havana toward negotiations. According to Reuters, Ratcliffe's message in Havana made clear that the Trump administration believes the current crisis presents a rare opportunity for the struggling communist island as long as their government is willing to come to the table on the White House's terms. A CIA official told the outlet that Ratcliffe discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and broader security issues with Cuban officials, all while emphasizing that Cuba can no longer function as what the administration calls a safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere. While the CIA official did not specify which adversaries were discussed, the administration, as we know, remains deeply concerned about Cuba's ties to China, Russia and Iran, all of which have sought to expand influence in Latin America in recent years. For their part, Cuban officials described the talks in far less confrontational terms. In a statement released after the meeting, Havana said both sides expressed interest in expanding cooperation between law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the interest of what it called regional and international security. Officials also insisted that Cuba does not pose a threat to the US and said they provided the American delegation with information showing that Cuba does not sponsor terrorism or host foreign military bases on the island. But despite the diplomatic opening that the Trump administration is creating for the communist regime, the White House's broader pressure campaign continues to ramp up across multiple fronts. Late Thursday night, news broke that the U.S. justice Department is preparing a potential indictment against former Cuban leader Raul Castro tied to the 1996 shoot down of aircraft operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. The timing of any indictment remains unclear, but the developments point to an increasingly aggressive US Posture toward Havana, timed with Washington's quiet exploration of direct engagement. Still, it remains far from clear whether Cuba's communist leadership is willing to or politically able to make the kind of concessions that Washington appears to be demanding. But most importantly, Ratcliffe made it clear that this diplomatic opening will not last indefinitely. According to the Wall Street Journal, Ratcliffe also warned Cuban officials that President Trump should be taken seriously, reportedly pointing to the US Operation earlier this year that removed Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro as an example of how quickly one Washington's posture in the region can shift. Coming up next, the FBI is offering a major reward for a former U.S. counterintelligence agent accused of betraying American secrets to the Iranian regime. I'll be right back.

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Welcome back to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. We turn now to the story of a former U. S. Intelligence operative accused of spying for Iran as the FBI launches a renewed push to bring her to justice. Federal authorities announced Thursday they're now offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Monica Witt, a former U S. Air Force intelligence specialist and counterintelligence agent accused of defecting to Tehran and exposing classified American secrets. Wit, now 47 years old, served both as an Air Force intelligence analyst and later as a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, OSI between 1997 and 2008 before working as a US government contractor until 2010, giving her access to sensitive classified material, including the identities of undercover US intelligence personnel. According to the FBI, Wit defected to Iran in 2013 and later provided the Iranian government with classified national defense information, allegedly exposing sensitive intelligence programs and placing American personnel and their families at risk. Federal investigators also allege Wit conducted research on behalf of the Iranian regime aimed at actively helping Tehran identify and target her former colleagues inside the U.S. intel community. The FBI says Witt's actions provided significant insights into the U.S. intel community for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, which of course oversees many of Tehran's intelligence, unconventional warfare and proxy operations across the Middle East. She was formally indicted on espionage charges back in 2019 but remains at large and is believed to still be living in Iran. The FBI says Witt may be using aliases, including of Fatima Zahra or Narjez Wit, and noted that she speaks fluent Farsi now. The timing of the FBI's renewed public push here is particularly notable. The case itself is more than a decade old, but the bureau's decision to suddenly announce a large reward comes amid one of the most volatile periods in recent memory between Washington and Tehran. And FBI officials made clear they believe the current instability surrounding Iran may create an opportunity to finally capture her. In a statement, the special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Counterintelligence and Cyber Division noted a sense of renewed urgency regarding the case, saying Witt is likely still supporting what he described as the regime's nefarious activities. He added, the bureau believes that, quote, during this critical moment in Iran's history, there is someone who knows something about her whereabouts. That wording strongly suggests U.S. intelligence officials believe the current pressure campaign against Tehran and the broader instability now surrounding the Iranian regime may be creating new vulnerabilities inside the country itself and more broadly, the case serves as another reminder that US Intelligence agencies remain deeply concerned about the Iranian regime's long running espionage and counterintelligence operations targeting the US and its allies. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon bulletin for Friday 15th May. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com and to listen to the show ad free.

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