The Cuban government announced that its border guards exchanged gunfire with a U.S.-registered boat off the Cuban coast, killing four people and injuring six others.
According to The New York Times, the announcement was made in a statement released Wednesday (25) by Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior, which said the boat, coming from Florida, approached within one nautical mile of Cayo Falcones in Villa Clara province.
When the Cuban vessel approached the U.S. boat for identification, individuals on board the speedboat allegedly opened fire. According to CBS News, the commander of the Cuban vessel was wounded in the exchange of gunfire.
Four people were killed and six were injured “as a result of the confrontation,” the statement said. It added that the injured were “evacuated and received medical attention.”
“It was determined that the neutralized boat, bearing Florida registration FL7726SH, was transporting 10 armed individuals who, according to preliminary statements from detainees, intended to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes,” the Ministry of the Interior said in the statement.
According to The Times, a U.S. official said the U.S. civilian boat was part of a flotilla involved in helping remove family members from Cuba.
“In light of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the Ministry’s statement added.
After learning of the incident, Florida Representative María Elvira Salazar said on X that she was “closely monitoring reports that Cuban regime forces opened fire on a Florida-registered boat, leaving four dead and six injured.”
Also on X, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier wrote that he had instructed the State Attorney’s Office to “work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to initiate an investigation.”
“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” he wrote on the social network.
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