Cuba's biggest threat to U.S. is collapse, says former defense secretary

As President Trump makes threats against Cuba, erstwhile Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the biggest hazard the Communist-ruled land poses to the U.S. is its imaginable illness and a migration situation to the U.S.

"The biggest hazard is that we extremity up with different Mariel evacuation from Cuba that has tens of thousands of Cubans heading to the United States retired of desperation," Gates said Friday successful an interrogation with "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." 

Known arsenic the Mariel Boatlift, astir 125,000 Cubans sought refuge successful the U.S. successful 1980, arsenic Cuba's failing system led to dissent connected the island. The wide exodus strained societal services successful Florida and led the authorities and national governments to state a authorities of emergency. 

Gates said Cuba's engagement successful different events, specified arsenic providing information for ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, has "impacted" U.S. nationalist security, but questioned whether Cuba poses an "imminent threat" to the U.S. 

"Other than successful these, if you will, peripheral ways, I deliberation the main menace is, frankly, is collapse," helium said. 

President Trump has threatened the anticipation of subject enactment against Cuba for months and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for economical and governmental reforms. 

The Trump medication has been trying to compression Cuba's system by imposing an lipid blockade that experts accidental has pushed the federation to its astir dire authorities since the illness of the Soviet Union, which heavy subsidized Cuba's economy. Cuba's vigor curate said this week that Cuba has run retired of fuel, mostly arsenic a effect of the blockade.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana connected Thursday for a uncommon gathering with elder Cuban officials, an bureau authoritative told CBS News, delivering a connection that the U.S. was prepared to grow economical and information engagement with Cuba if Havana "makes cardinal changes."