Four Cuban Nationals Killed in Shooting on US-Registered Speedboat
Four Cuban nationals were killed in a deadly Cuba sea shootout involving 11 armed suspects, escalating US-Cuba tensions and sparking a federal investigation.
The Cuban government said that the four people shot by Cuban border guards on a US-registered speedboat were Cuban citizens living in the United States.
In a statement posted online, the Cuban Interior Ministry said that the speedboat's passengers—four of whom were killed and six others injured, also Cuban citizens—opened fire on a Coast Guard vessel that approached them near an island off the country's northern coast on Wednesday.
The statement said that the ten people, some with previous criminal records, were armed and intended to "infiltrate for terrorist purposes."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was also investigating this "very unusual" incident.
The Cuban Interior Ministry identified six surviving passengers, who were later detained, and one passenger who was killed.
It added that most of them had "previous records of criminal and violent activities."
According to the statement, handguns, assault rifles, improvised explosive devices, and other tactical gear were recovered from the speedboat. The Interior Ministry also identified an eleventh person, who they said had been arrested and confessed to being part of the alleged plot.
Read Also
In an earlier statement posted on X, the ministry said the Florida-registered vessel – with registration number FL7726SH – was intercepted Wednesday morning near Cayo Falcones in the country's central Villa Clara province.
When a Cuban boat carrying five members of the ministry's border guard approached the vessel for identification, "the crew of the infringing speedboat opened fire" and wounded the Cuban commander, the statement said.
"As a result of this confrontation, as of the time of this report, four attackers on the foreign vessel were killed and six injured."
The statement further said that the injured were evacuated and provided medical assistance.
Before the Cuban government released the identities of some of the passengers, Rubio confirmed that there were no US government employees on the boat and that an investigation was underway to "clear up" the incident and what the passengers were doing in the area. Rubio spoke from St. Kitts and Nevis, where he was meeting with Caribbean leaders amid the Trump administration's efforts to increase pressure on the Cuban government, as well as to discuss other regional issues.
He told reporters, "We're going to find out exactly what happened, who was involved, and we'll make a decision based on what we find out."
He promised that US investigators would move "quickly" to gather the necessary information, and that the US Coast Guard had gone to the "nearby" location of the attack.
Software Services
 |
Turn your casino idea into a live platform — start your journey today |
But he also said that the US would not rely on information provided by the Cuban government, and that Washington would verify the facts of the case on its own.
Rubio said, "It's very strange to see such a shooting on the high seas. This doesn't happen every day." The incident comes amid rising tensions between the US and Cuba, which is facing a severe fuel crisis. This crisis has been exacerbated by the US blocking oil shipments from Venezuela, a longtime ally in the region.
Lawmakers Demand Investigation
The Cuban Interior Ministry's first statement, referring to these tensions, said that "in the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its intention to protect its territorial waters" and defend its sovereignty.
On Wednesday, the US Treasury said it would facilitate certain small private sector transactions, including oil sales, to "support the Cuban people for commercial and humanitarian use."
The incident also came a day after Cuban-American groups in Miami commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Brothers to the Rescue shooting, which killed four people.
Wednesday's incident prompted Florida lawmakers and state officials to demand an investigation and criticize the Cuban government.
Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez, a former mayor of Miami and Cuban-American, said he would demand an investigation into the incident, which he called a "massacre."
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeyer said he would direct local law enforcement to investigate the incident.
He said, "The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable."
In the US Senate, Florida Republican Rick Scott demanded a "full investigation into this very troubling situation and to find out what happened."
He added, "The communist Cuban regime must be held accountable!"
Trump told Cuba to "make a deal before it's too late."
Cuba remained defiant as it prepared for the aftermath of Maduro.
Thank you for reading this content.
Thank you for reading this content.
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
