Cuban forces killed four people and injured six aboard a boat registered in Florida that entered Cuban waters this Wednesday (25). Agents opened fire on a Cuban patrol, the Cuban government said at a time of growing tensions with the United States (USA).
The injured received medical attention, while the commander of the Cuban patrol was also injured, the Cuban Interior Ministry said in a statement, adding that the case is under investigation to clarify exactly what happened.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that it was not an operation by his country and that no US government official was involved. Cuban authorities have informed the US about the incident, but the US embassy in Havana is trying to independently verify what happened, Rubio said.
“We will have our own information on this, we will find out exactly what happened, and there are a number of things that could have happened here,” Rubio said. “Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see open ocean gunfights like this.”
The incident occurred at a time when the United States blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island, increasing pressure on the communist government.
US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas on January 3, removing an important Cuban ally from power. Rubio reiterated his rhetoric against the Cuban government, classifying the status quo unsustainable and saying that Cuba needs to change “dramatically”.
Speedboats smuggling people off the island have clashed with Cuban forces in the past, including an incident in 2022 in which Cuban border patrol killed a suspected smuggler, according to a statement from the Cuban government.. It was one of 13 boats from the US intercepted in the first half of that year, Cuba reported.
Despite largely antagonistic relations between the United States and Cuba for 67 years, the two countries have cooperated on issues of drug trafficking and human smuggling in the Florida Straits, especially during the period of rapprochement under former US President Barack Obama.
In yesterday’s incident, the speedboat came within a nautical mile of a canal at Falcones Cay, on the north coast of Cuba, about 200 km east of Havana, when it was approached by five members of a Cuban border patrol unit. The boat then opened fire, wounding the commander of the Cuban vessel, according to the note.
None of those killed or injured aboard the invading vessel have been identified, but Cuba said it was registered in Florida with the number FL7726SH.
“Faced with current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting 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,” said the Cuban statement.
Florida politicians called for separate investigations, saying they did not trust the Cuban version.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he ordered prosecutors to open an investigation in conjunction with other state and federal law enforcement partners.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Republican whose district includes far south Florida, called for a federal investigation, saying he had asked the State Department and the U.S. military to look into the matter.
“United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred,” Gimenez said.
*(Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal and Kanishka Singh)
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