Cuba said four people were killed and six injured on the Florida-registered vessel. Florida Attorney General James Usmeyer has vowed to investigate the incident.
Cuba, Florida speedboat opens fire in Cuban waters, killing 4 people
Four people aboard a U.S.-registered speedboat were killed in a gunfight with Cuban government forces after it entered waters near Cuba.
According to the Cuban embassy in the United States, the U.S.-registered speedboat entered Cuban territorial waters on February 25, after which a gunfight with Cuban government forces killed all four people on board.
The Cuban embassy said in a statement that the crew opened fire on Cuban Interior Ministry troops as they approached the U.S. ship. Four people were killed and six injured on the Florida-registered vessel. Cuba said the captain of the Interior Ministry ship was injured.
“In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban state in defending its sovereignty and ensuring regional stability,” Cuban authorities said. “The investigation by the competent authorities continues to fully clarify the incident.”
The injured speedboat crew members were evacuated for medical assistance, Cuban officials said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at an afternoon briefing that the United States would conduct its own investigation into the incident.
“There are good reasons why we want our own information. Those of us who live in the United States do not typically make decisions based on information from the Cuban government,” Rubio said, adding that he wanted to confirm whether the people involved were American citizens. “Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual for a gunfight to occur on the open sea like that.”
Rubio’s comments came hours after Florida Attorney General James Usmayer promised an investigation.
“I have directed the statewide prosecutor’s office to begin an investigation in collaboration with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners,” Usmayer said in a statement. “The Cuban government cannot be trusted. We will do everything in our power to hold the communists accountable.”
Vice President J.D. Vance said he had been briefed on the incident by Mr. Rubio.
“We don’t know many details,” Vance told reporters. “We hope it’s not as bad as we fear, but we don’t know any more so we can’t say any more.”
USA TODAY has reached out to the White House and State Department for comment.
‘We need a full investigation’: Florida leaders react
Florida lawmakers immediately reacted to the incident and called for an investigation.
In a statement, Rep. Carlos A. Jimenez (R-Fla.) called the incident a “genocide” and called for “an investigation to determine whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what happened.”
“The Cuban regime must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity,” Jimenez said.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) joined Jimenez in calling for an investigation.
“This extremely disturbing situation requires a thorough investigation to determine what happened,” Scott said in a statement. The communist Cuban regime must be held accountable!
Where did the incident occur?
According to Cuban authorities, the gunfire erupted as the Florida-registered vessel approached one nautical mile northeast of El Pino Strait in Cayo Falcones, Coralillo, Villa Clara state.
Why are tensions rising between Cuba and the United States?
The incident comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Cuba.
Cuba faces a fuel crisis that has worsened after the United States detained President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, a longtime ally of Cuba, and blocked oil shipments from the country. President Donald Trump announced in January a plan for U.S. companies to control and sell Venezuelan oil on its behalf.
On January 11, President Trump told Cuba they needed to reach an agreement in a post on his social media site Truth Social.
“No more oil, no more money coming to Cuba – zero! I strongly suggest that we reach a deal before it’s too late,” Trump said, without elaborating at the time what that deal would look like.
Cuba’s statement may have referenced this, saying: “In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to defend its territorial waters and defend its sovereignty.”
Contributed by USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers
