FOUR ‘ARMED’ SPEEDBOAT PASSENGERS KILLED BY CUBAN BORDER GUARDS

FOUR ‘ARMED’ SPEEDBOAT PASSENGERS KILLED BY CUBAN BORDER GUARDS LIVED IN THE U.S., OFFICIALS SAY Deadly shoot-out near Cuban waters raises questions, tensions mount between Havana and Washington Havana / Washington Cuban authorities have confirmed that four men killed in a deadly shoot-out with Cuban border guards last week were Cuban nationals residing in the United States, in a dramatic maritime incident that has sparked fresh scrutiny and ongoing investigations by both Havana and U.S. officials, a Florida-registered speedboat approached Cuban territorial waters near Cayo Falcones off the Villa Clara province on the island’s north coast.
Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior says border guards intercepted the vessel and requested identification as it neared about one nautical mile from Cuban waters. According to Havana, those on board opened fire on the Cuban patrol injuring the commander leading Cuban forces to return fire, killing four passengers and wounding six others. Cuban officials said the survivors were detained and hospitalized, though their precise roles remain under investigation.The Cuban Interior Ministry stated that all 10 passengers on the vessel were Cuban nationals who had been living in the United States at the time of the incident.
The ministry has alleged that the group was attempting a “terrorist infiltration” of Cuban territory; authorities claimed that many of the passengers had known histories of criminal or violent activity. Among those killed was Michel Ortega Casanova, whom the Cuban government identified, and efforts are reportedly underway to identify the other three deceased.
Six men detained at the scene were also named by Cuban state media, and Duniel Hernández Santos was separately arrested inside Cuba, with authorities claiming he was “sent from the U.S.” to assist the group’s mission. Cuban authorities said weapons seized from the speedboat included assault rifles, handguns, homemade explosives such as Molotov cocktails, bulletproof vests, and camouflage gear. Havana’s Interior Ministry framed the confrontation as defensive action to protect Cuban sovereignty and territorial integrity. The U.S. government has confirmed it is investigating the incident independently. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were no U.S. government personnel involved, and that his country would gather its own information to determine precisely what occurred and whether any of those involved were U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Florida officials including Attorney General James Uthmeier and other state lawmakers have called for deeper inquiries, with some expressing skepticism about the Cuban government’s narrative.
U.S. agencies reportedly involved in fact-finding include the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security.
The incident has increased tensions between Havana and Washington, occurring amid a broader backdrop of strained relations, economic pressures, and recent diplomatic friction over policy issues in the region. Cuban authorities emphasize their commitment to defending territorial waters, while U.S. leaders have stressed the importance of establishing clear facts before drawing conclusions. A deadly confrontation off Cuba’s coast between Cuban border guards and a Florida-registered speedboat resulted in the deaths of four armed passengers, all Cuban nationals living in the United States, according to Cuban officials. The incident, characterized by Havana as an attempted armed infiltration, is now the subject of parallel investigations by Cuban and U.S. authorities amid broader geopolitical tensions.