Four people on a speedboat were killed and another six injured in a “confrontation” near Cuba’s coast after those on board the United States-registered vessel opened fire on Cuban troops, according to the Cuban Ministry of the Interior.
As Border Guard troops approached the boat for identification after it was detected in Cuban waters, those on board the speedboat “opened fire,” injuring the commander of the Cuban vessel, the ministry said.
A Cuban coast guard stands on a hill facing the sea at a border post in El Real in the Cuban province of Granma, April 5, 2006.
Claudia Daut/Reuters
“As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured,” the ministry said in a statement released by the Cuban Embassy in the United States.
Those injured were evacuated and received medical assistance, it said.
The speedboat was registered in Florida, according to the ministry. It approached Wednesday morning about 1 nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones in the Villa Clara province, the ministry said.
“In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region,” the Cuban Ministry of the Interior said.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters Wednesday afternoon that Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed him on the incident and they are monitoring it, “but we don’t know a whole lot of details.”
“Hopefully it’s not as bad as we fear it could be, but I can’t say more because I just don’t know more,” he said during an unrelated press conference.
Diplomats at the U.S. embassy in Havana were still working to get access to the people on the vessel, to determine if they are American citizens or permanent residents, Rubio told reporters.
“The majority of the information we still possess is what Cuban authorities are providing both the public and the U.S. government,” he said while speaking from Saint Kitts on Wednesday.
‘Confrontation’ off Cuba’s coast
Google Earth, Cuba
U.S. authorities are working to independently verify all information, including that the boat was registered in Florida, he said.
“As we gather more information, then we’ll be prepared to respond accordingly,” he said.
Rubio noted there were “a number of things” that could have happened, but he wasn’t going to speculate.
“Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that,” he added. “It’s not something that happens every day. It’s something frankly that hasn’t happened with Cuba in a very long time.”
Florida officials said they are opening an investigation into the incident.
“I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement on X. “The Cuban government cannot be trusted.”
Some of Florida’s congressional delegation have also demanded an investigation.
“United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez said in a statement, calling the incident a “massacre.”
Sen. Rick Scott also said a “full investigation into this deeply concerning situation” is needed to determine what happened.
