Cuba Says Four Exiles Killed After Florida-Registered Speedboat Opened Fire
Cuba said its forces killed four exiles and wounded six others after a Florida-registered speedboat entered Cuban waters and opened fire on a Cuban patrol vessel, according to the government. The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between Havana and the United States.
Cuba’s Interior Ministry said those aboard the vessel were anti-government Cubans, some previously wanted for allegedly plotting attacks. Authorities said the group departed from the United States wearing camouflage and carrying assault rifles, handguns, homemade explosives, ballistic vests and telescopic sights.
An additional suspect was detained inside Cuban territory in connection with what officials described as a plot.
«According to preliminary statements from the detainees, they intended to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes,» the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The wounded were evacuated for medical treatment. The commander of the Cuban patrol was also injured in the exchange of fire, the ministry said.
U.S. Response and Verification
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters the incident was not a U.S. government operation and that no American personnel were involved. He said Cuban authorities had informed Washington of the episode, but that the U.S. embassy in Havana would seek to independently verify events.
«We are going to have our own information on this, we are going to figure out exactly what happened, and there are a number of things that could have happened here,» Rubio said, describing such open-sea shootouts as highly unusual.
Rising Tensions and Historical Context
The confrontation occurred as the United States 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 January 3, removing a key Cuban ally from power. Rubio reiterated criticism of the Cuban government, calling the current situation unsustainable and saying the country needed to change «dramatically».
Cuban exiles, largely concentrated in Miami, have long sought the overthrow of the government established by revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who died in 2016 at the age of 90.
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