The incident occurs amid growing tensions between the US and Cuba, following the US blockade of all oil shipments arriving on the island. Oil shortages left the Cuban economy paralyzed
Cuban forces shot dead four people on a Florida-registered speedboat that entered Cuban waters this Wednesday, in a dramatic shootout near the island’s coast.
US Vice President JD Vance said the White House is “monitoring” the situation. The nationalities of the dead were not disclosed.
Six other people on board the vessel were injured and are receiving medical assistance.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cuban coast guard troops approached the boat to identify it after it entered Cuban territorial waters in Falcones Cay, in the province of Villa Clara, just over 160 kilometers from Florida.
The Cuban forces were then fired upon by someone from the boat, injuring the commander of the Cuban vessel, according to the statement. The border guards responded.
Vance said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed him on the incident, but details are still scarce. “It’s certainly a situation that we’re monitoring, and we hope it’s not as serious as we fear. But I can’t say more, because I just don’t know anymore,” Vance said at the White House.
Rubio is currently in the region, on an official visit to Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The incident comes amid growing tensions between the US and Cuba, as Washington DC has blocked virtually all oil shipments arriving on the communist-ruled island. Oil shortages, with the Caribbean nation experiencing its worst period of economic uncertainty in decades.
The vessel, with registration number FL7726SH, is a seven-meter speedboat manufactured in 1981, according to records in maritime databases.
“Faced with current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its availability to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban State, aiming to protect its sovereignty and stability in the region,” declared the Cuban Ministry of the Interior.
Florida authorities in alarm
Florida officials have called for an investigation and want the Cuban government to be held accountable.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he has instructed the State Attorney’s Office to assist federal, state and law enforcement authorities in beginning an investigation.
Republican Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez, whose district includes the southern tip of Florida, said the incident raised concerns about the use of deadly force against people aboard a US-registered vessel and called for an investigation into what happened.
“United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were American citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what happened,” wrote Gimenez, on the social network X. “The regime in Cuba must be consigned to oblivion for its countless crimes against humanity.”
Republican Senator Rick Scott, also from Florida, classified the incident as “deeply worrying” and said that the Cuban government “must be held responsible”.
Cuba’s Interior Ministry said authorities are investigating the incident.
Max Saltman and Patrick Oppmann contributed to this article.
