Cuban forces killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-based speedboat that entered Cuban waters on Wednesday and opened fire on a Cuban patrol, the Cuban government said at a time of heightened tensions with the United States.
The wounded were evacuated and receiving medical attention, while the Cuban patrol commander was also wounded, Cuba’s Interior Ministry said in a statement, adding that the matter was under investigation to clarify exactly what happened.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters it was not a U.S. operation and that no U.S. government personnel were involved. Cuban authorities made the U.S. aware of the incident, and the Americans were still awaiting confirmation whether any of the people involved were U.S. citizens, Rubio said, adding that the U.S. would seek to independently verify what happened.
The incident took place as the United States has blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island, increasing pressure on the Communist-run government. American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on January 3, removing a key Cuban ally from power.
Speedboats smuggling people off the island have skirmished with Cuban forces in the past, including one incident in 2022 in which the Cuban border patrol killed one suspected smuggler, according to a Cuban government statement. It was one of 13 speedboats coming from the U.S. to be intercepted in the first half of that year, Cuba said.
Get breaking National news
Despite largely antagonistic relations between the United States and Cuba for 67 years, the two countries have cooperated on matters of drug trafficking and human smuggling in the Straits of Florida, notably during the period of rapprochement under former U.S. President Barack Obama. Under longstanding agreements, the U.S. Coast Guard has returned migrants captured at sea to Cuba.
In Wednesday’s incident, the speedboat came within one nautical mile of a channel on Falcones Cay, on the north coast of Cuba about 200 km (120 miles) east of Havana, when it was approached by five members of a Cuban border patrol unit, Cuba said. The speedboat then opened fire, wounding the commander of the Cuban vessel, the statement said.
None of the dead or wounded aboard the encroaching vessel were identified, but Cuba said it was registered in Florida with the number FL7726SH.
“Faced with the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the Cuban statement said.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he was ordering prosecutors to open an investigation in conjunction with other state and federal law enforcement partners, saying the Cuban account could not be trusted.
U.S. Representative Carlos Gimenez, a Republican whose district includes the southern tip of Florida, called for a federal investigation, saying the incident raised serious concerns about the use of lethal force against a vessel registered in the United States.
Gimenez said he had asked the U.S. State Department and military to look into the matter, in which he accused Cuba of executing four people. He did not cite evidence.
“United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred,” Gimenez said.
Cuba is a total sh i t hole and there’s lots of people smuggling operations to get them out of there.
It wasn’t US officials or forces on the speedboat but likely drug dealers, or people-smugglers trying to get people off that hole of an island for big $$$.
Wasn’t
Nothing quite like an American when it comes to hypocrisy. Murder fishermen and call them terrorist drug smugglers, murder their own citizens and call them domestic terrorists, but when Americans invade another countries waters and open fire on the Cuban vessel, then the Americans get all pissy and up in arms. Hypocrite, one and all
The US blows up boats of “smugglers” outside their own territorial waters and they boast about it on TV, but Cuba defends itself in it’s own territorial waters and the USA goes mental. The hypocrisy is astounding!
Messagee sent to drug snuggling Americans lol
Either rit is okay to illegally enter a country nor it isn’t. You can’t have it both ways you ess ay.
Good! Its about time countries started firing back at Trump and his pirate ships and goon navy.
It has been established by the US that it’s an OK thing to do. Plenty of half nuts things are being established as OK by this rogue government.
Drug smuggling
i guess they got the message
Gern… No… Pigs invasion ! 😂
Not drugs. Cuban can’t afford drugs. Most likely American exiled Cubans attempting to go back to create agitation or attempt a coup.
4 death: “Bon débarras”
Awesome 👍. Keep Cuba safe against agitator and infiltrators.
Bay of Pigs invasion?
Never fails. A US person breaks the law in a foreign land, and US leaders scream for justice. Then they think it is fine for them to sink or pirate a foreign vessel in international waters..
Drug smugglers.
Drugs
Good news for a change