Four US residents killed, six captured after attempted ‘armed infiltration’ of Cuba, interior ministry says
Four people were killed and six wounded when their Florida-registered speedboat entered Cuban waters on Wednesday, prompting a deadly exchange of gunfire with a patrol boat, the country’s government said, accusing the men of plotting an “armed infiltration.”
The vessel came within one nautical mile of the El Pino channel on Falcones Cay in Villa Clara province on the north coast of Cuba, about 120 miles east of Havana, when it was approached by a vessel carrying five Border Guard Troops, according to the official account.
When the patrol unit asked the occupants to identify themselves, they allegedly opened fire, wounding the commander of the Cuban vessel, prompting the troops to retaliate in kind.
The wounded were evacuated and received medical attention and were subsequently found to be “Cuban residents of the United States” with criminal records.
“Assault rifles, handguns, improvised explosive devices (Molotov cocktails), bulletproof vests, telescopic sights, and camouflage uniforms were seized,” the government’s statement read.
It named the six injured men and one of the deceased and said an investigation was underway to identify the remaining three and clarify precisely what happened.
Two of the wounded – Amijail Sanchez Gonzalez and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gomez – were previously wanted by Cuba for terrorism offences, the country said.
“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 statement concluded.
Its Interior Ministry later added that another man, Duniel Hernandez Santos, had also been arrested after being sent from the U.S. to “facilitate the reception of the armed infiltration,” an accusation to which he was reported to have confessed.
Bizarrely, one of the men named among those hurt, Roberto Azcorra Consuegra, told NBC’s Miami affiliate that he was still in the U.S. and surprised to see his name on the list. He did not comment further.
Cuba said the boat used was registered in the Sunshine State under the number FL7726SH. According to maritime database records cited by CNN, it is a 24-foot Pro-Line powerboat manufactured in 1981, typically used for fishing, and is owned by an individual residing in Miami Lakes, Florida.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in St Kitts and Nevis for a diplomatic conference with Caribbean leaders, said: “We’re going to find out exactly what happened here and then we’ll respond accordingly.
“Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts on open sea like that. It’s something, frankly, that hasn’t happened over Cuba in a very long time.”
He also warned: “Cuba’s status quo is unacceptable. Cuba needs to change. It needs to change, and it doesn’t have to change all at once. Everyone is mature and realistic.”
