Cuba Says Boat From Florida Opened Fire At Its Soldiers, Starting Fight That Killed 4

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba’s authorities stated late Wednesday that the ten passengers on a ship that opened fireplace on its troopers have been armed Cubans residing within the U.S. who have been attempting to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism.

The announcement got here hours after Cuba stated its troopers killed 4 individuals and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered velocity boat that had entered Cuban waters and opened fireplace on the troopers first, injuring one Cuban officer.

Cuba’s authorities stated the vast majority of the ten individuals on the boat “have a recognized historical past of prison and violent exercise.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had informed reporters earlier that he was made conscious of the incident and that the U.S. is now gathering its personal data to find out if the victims have been Americans or everlasting residents.

“We have now numerous totally different components of the U.S. authorities which are attempting to establish components of the story that will not be offered to us now,” Rubio stated whereas on the airport in Basseterre, St. Kitts, the place he was attending a regional summit with Caribbean leaders.

The Cuban authorities recognized two of the boat passengers as Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, who’re wished by Cuban authorities “primarily based on their involvement within the promotion, planning, group, financing, assist or fee of actions carried out within the nationwide territory or in different international locations, in reference to acts of terrorism.”

The federal government stated it additionally had arrested Duniel Hernández Santos, including that he was “despatched from the US to ensure the reception of the armed infiltration, who at the moment has confessed to his actions.”

The Related Press was not instantly capable of independently confirm that data.

Cuba’s authorities stated it obtained the small print in regards to the passengers aboard the boat from the suspects detained following the shootout.

It recognized seven of the ten passengers, together with Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra. Cuba’s authorities stated that one of many 4 killed was Michel Ortega Casanova. Three others haven’t but been recognized.

“The investigation course of continues till the details are absolutely clarified,” the ministry stated in an announcement.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s high diplomat refused to invest on what occurred, saying that it might be a “wide selection of issues,” and that the U.S. won’t solely depend on what the Cuban authorities have offered to date.

“Suffice it to say, it’s extremely uncommon to see shootouts in open sea like that. It’s not one thing that occurs day-after-day. It’s one thing, frankly, that hasn’t occurred with Cuba in a really very long time,” Rubio stated.

He stated each the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the incident and careworn that he needs to confirm the details.

“Nearly all of the details being publicly reported are these by the knowledge offered by the Cubans. We are going to confirm that independently as we collect extra data, and we’ll be ready to reply accordingly,” Rubio stated. “We’re going to have our personal data on this. We’re going to determine precisely what occurred.”

He stated it was not a U.S. authorities operation and that he wasn’t “going to invest about whose boat it was, what they have been doing, why they have been there, what truly occurred.”

Rubio added: “We’re going to know, and once we know, then we’ll inform you, and we’ll do what must be completed about it, relying on what it’s.”

One of many males recognized by the Cuban authorities, Conrado Galindo Sariol, was interviewed in June 2025 by Martí Noticias, a U.S.-based information web site that has lengthy referred to as for a change of presidency in Cuba.

Galindo, whom the host referred to as “a legend,” was quoted as saying that he needs to assist the struggles that Cubans face, particularly within the japanese a part of the island “to attain the liberty that’s wanted.”

He stated that the protests in Cuba at the moment have been “not a spark that’s going to be extinguished.”

“The regime’s leaders are crisscrossing Cuba, attempting to mitigate what’s coming very quickly as a result of … they know they’re out of energy, that they’ll’t do something about it, and so they’re searching for methods to forestall the protests from rising in different elements of the nation,” Galindo was quoted as saying.

Rubio stated he came upon in regards to the capturing earlier than the Cuban authorities posted on social media, noting that the U.S. has “fixed contact” with the nation “on the Coast Guard stage.”

Earlier, Cuba’s Inside Ministry issued an announcement that offered few particulars in regards to the capturing, however famous that the boat was roughly 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) northeast of Cayo Falcones, off Cuba’s north coast.

The federal government offered the boat’s registration quantity, however The Related Press was unable to readily confirm particulars of the boat as a result of boat registrations usually are not public within the state of Florida.

It wasn’t instantly recognized what the boat and its occupants have been doing in Cuban waters. Within the assertion, the ministry stated Cuba’s authorities was “safeguarding its sovereignty and guaranteeing stability within the area.”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated late Wednesday afternoon that Rubio had briefed him on the incident. He added that the White Home was monitoring the state of affairs.

“Hopefully it’s not as unhealthy as we concern it might be,” Vance stated.

The capturing threatens to increase tensions between the U.S. and Cuba. Following the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump and high administration officers have taken an more and more aggressive stance towards Cuba, which had been largely kept economically afloat by Venezuela’s oil.

The power disaster Cuba has been grappling with in recent times entered new extremes final month when Trump signed an government order that may impose a tariff on any nation that sells or supplies oil to Cuba. The transfer put stress on Mexico, which Cuba grew to become largely depending on for petroleum after Trump halted oil shipments from Venezuela.

America’s high diplomat says a dramatic shift should be made by Cuba’s authorities as a result of that’s the one method to enhance the standard of lifetime of its residents.

Rubio says the federal government must make “dramatic reforms that open the area for each financial and finally political freedom for the individuals of Cuba.”

In the meantime, James Uthmeier, Florida’s lawyer common, stated he has ordered prosecutors to work with federal, state and legislation enforcement companions to start out an investigation.

“The Cuban authorities can’t be trusted, and we’ll do all the pieces in our energy to carry these communists accountable,” he wrote on X.

It’s commonplace for skirmishes to erupt between Cuba’s Coast Guard and U.S.-flagged speedboats in Cuban waters, however there have been no current studies of passengers opening fireplace or being killed.

In previous years, a few of these U.S.-flagged boats have been laden with unidentified gadgets headed towards the island or they have been going to select up Cubans and smuggle them into the U.S.

Lee reported from Basseterre, St. Kitts and Coto from San José, Costa Rica. Related Press reporters Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska and Aamer Madhani and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, D.C. contributed to this report.