Cuban coast guard kills four people on Florida registered boat after it entered their waters and opened fire
The Cuban Coast Guard killed four people in a Florida-registered speedboat after the vessel crossed into the nation’s waters and opened fire, Cuban officials said.
The Cuban Embassy said on X that the incident unfolded Wednesday morning, when the speedboat approached one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel in the Villa Clara province.
The embassy said Border Guard Troops confronted the speedboat, leading the crew of the Florida-registered boat to open fire on the Cuban personnel.
The commander of the Cuban vessel was injured in the shootout, while four people on the Florida speedboat were killed and six more were injured.
Cuban officials said the six injured on the Florida-registered speedboat were evacuated and have received medical assistance. Their nationalities are not known.
The embassy added in a statement: ‘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.
‘Investigations by the competent authorities continue in order to fully clarify the events.’
US authorities have not commented on the incident, and it is unclear who was commanding the Florida-registered vessel.
The Daily Mail has contacted the US State Department for comment.
The Cuban Coast Guard killed four people in a Florida-registered speedboat after the vessel crossed into the nation’s waters and opened fire, Cuban officials said. A stock image of a Cuban Coast Guard vessel is pictured, not the vessel in Wednesday’s incident
Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez, who was born in Cuba, issued a fiery statement in response to the shooting, saying he was calling for an immediate investigation into what he described as a ‘massacre.’
‘I am calling for an immediate investigation into this massacre. United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were US citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred,’ Gimenez said.
‘The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity.’
Gimenez’s office added that the incident ‘raises serious concerns about the use of lethal force against individuals on a vessel registered in the United States.’
Florida Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar said on X that she was ‘closely monitoring’ the incident.
Salazar, who is the daughter of Cuban exiles, did not offer specifics on the shooting, and wrote: ‘This is an unfolding situation, and I am awaiting further details from U.S. authorities.’
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement that he has directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to investigate the shooting and coordinate with federal, state and law enforcement partners.
‘The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,’ Uthmeier said.
President Donald Trump has made several statements hinting that he wants the Communist regime in Cuba gone
Tensions between the US and Cuba have been steadily rising after President Donald Trump authorized the mission last month to capture Nicolás Maduro, the former leader of Venezuela.
Venezuela and Cuba have been close allies for decades, with Venezuela being the main exporter of crude oil and fuel to the island.
For weeks, the US has been intercepting and seizing oil tankers headed for Cuba, though the Trump administration has not acknowledged it is instituting a blockade.
Last week, the US Coast Guard seized a tanker 70 miles away from the island that was full of Colombian oil, The New York Times reported.
There are indications that the Trump administration wants to go further and pursue regime change. Trump himself has made numerous statements hinting that he wants the Cuba’s Communist leadership gone.
In late January, The Wall Street Journal reported that officials close to the administration have been discussing ousting Miguel Díaz-Canel, 65, who has led the country since 94-year-old Raúl Castro retired as president in 2021.
Officials familiar with the plans were focused on waiting for Cuba’s economy to collapse, making a possible operation easier to accomplish.
However, it broke on Wednesday that the Trump administration is now allowing American companies to resell Venezuelan oil to private companies in Cuba. The new guidance came from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
‘This favorable licensing policy is directed towards transactions that support the Cuban people, including the Cuban private sector (e.g., exports for commercial and humanitarian use in Cuba),’ the office said.
It’s unclear if Wednesday’s boat shooting will affect this policy. The Daily Mail has approached the White House and the Treasury Department for comment.
