Four shot dead in Cuban waters after Florida-registered speedboat opened fire on authorities
At least four people have been killed and seven others wounded after a Florida-registered speedboat entered Cuban waters and opened fired, Cuba’s Interior Ministry said.
The four who died were aboard the speedboat, the other six injured appear to be Cuban forces, who returned fire on the speedboat.
In addition, the Cuban commander of a border patrol boat was wounded, Cuba said.
The wounded foreign attackers were evacuated and received medical attention, Cuba said.
The incident took place amid heightened tension between Cuba and the United States, which 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 Jan. 3, removing a key Cuban ally from power.
“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.
Cuba is facing an increasingly dire energy crisis that has heightened in recent weeks after oil shipments from Venezuela, its main oil supplier, were halted when the U.S. attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its leader. Mexico, another major supplier, then also suspended oil shipments under U.S. pressure.
Air Canada and other airlines have canceled flights to the Caribbean island because of a shortage of aviation fuel on the island.
