Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cubans seeking political change to pursue a “discrete partnership with the CIA,” signaling a tougher approach by the Trump administration toward Cuba’s communist government.

In a statement posted Friday, Rubio called on those seeking change to seize what he described as an opportunity to challenge the island’s existing leadership.

“To those who seek to create positive change in Cuba, now is the time,” Rubio wrote. He pointed to failed promises, corruption, and the privileged lives of a select few as reasons for Cubans to pursue change through cooperation with the Central Intelligence Agency.

The statement came shortly after President Donald Trump revived the possibility of U.S. intervention in Cuba during a rally in Fort Myers, Florida. Trump suggested that American warships returning from the ongoing conflict with Iran could stop near Cuba and said Rubio would be sent to “finish up the deal.” He did not provide details of what such a deal would involve.

The administration has intensified pressure on Havana through sanctions and efforts to encourage political and economic changes. Rubio has repeatedly criticized Cuba’s leadership over its economic record and relationships with American adversaries, describing the island as a national security concern.

Cuba, meanwhile, continues to face a severe economic and energy crisis marked by electricity blackouts, food shortages, inflation, and mass emigration. The country’s economic difficulties have fueled public frustration and protests in recent years.

Washington has maintained that it wants Cuba to move toward greater political and economic freedom, although the prospect of U.S. intervention has heightened tensions between the two governments. Rubio’s latest statement places the CIA explicitly in his appeal to those seeking change, but he did not publicly outline any specific operation or explain what cooperation would entail.