The Trump administration is reportedly gearing up to hasten the collapse of the Castro legacy in Cuba, with discussions under way about a potential military operation on the island as early as this summer.

While an outright invasion has yet to be authorised, with President Donald Trump maintaining he would prefer a peaceful transfer of power, the Trump administration is said to be continuing to pile economic sanctions on the island. However, should an invasion take place, sources suggest it would be swift, bearing similarities to the strikes carried out in Venezuela earlier this year.

“The president does not want boots on the ground for more than 48 hours. It’s a quagmire in the making. This could get messy,” a Trump adviser told Axios.

A further senior administration official told the outlet that the removal of the Castros’ remaining influence would unfold gradually and in stages. The administration is also said to be wary of embarking on yet another military venture, given that negotiations to bring the Iran war to a close – which the President had promised would last only weeks – remain ongoing.

“The best way to describe it is ‘accelerationism,'” an unnamed senior administration official said. “But we don’t want to kill off the regime just yet. There’s a method to this. It’s in stage.”

Talks surrounding the dismantling of the communist regime, widely regarded as the driving force behind anti-U.S. sentiment across Latin America, began several months ago – and notably, the first concrete steps towards making this a reality took place elsewhere.

Earlier this year, Washington launched operations in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, to apprehend dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who faced accusations of narco-terrorism across the Americas. Venezuela has long been regarded as Havana’s economic lifeline, providing oil shipments that enabled the island to sustain a crucial revenue stream.

Following Maduro’s capture, oil deliveries to Cuba have ceased entirely, plunging the island into economic turmoil and heightening tensions between the long-standing adversaries, Havana and Washington.

In preparation for a potential escalation, the U.S. Southern Command, responsible for military operations throughout the Caribbean, conducted a multiagency military exercise simulating potential military action in Cuba.

Read More: Trump ‘prepares 48-hour invasion’ of nearby nation: ‘This could get messy’