The Cuban government announced on Wednesday evening local time that the crew members of a motorboat registered in the US state of Florida who opened fire on its soldiers were armed Cubans living in the US. These persons were allegedly trying to infiltrate the island and unleash terrorism. TASR informs about it according to the AP agency.
- The Cuban Coast Guard shot and killed four gunmen from the boat.
- The boat’s crew were armed Cubans from the United States, according to the government.
- Government sources say most of the crew have criminal histories.
- They found weapons and military equipment on the boat.
- The US is investigating the details and has yet to announce an official response.
The Ministry of the Interior reported on Wednesday that the Cuban Coast Guard shot four people during a shootout with the mentioned boat. The crew of the boat allegedly started shooting at the approaching coast guard near the island. According to the department, six other people were injured and were evacuated and given medical attention.
Crew identification
The Cuban government said most of the 10 people on board “have a known history of criminal and violent activity.”
In total, she has so far identified seven people from the crew. Two of them are Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, who are wanted by Cuban authorities “in connection with terrorist acts.” Havana said it also arrested Duniel Hernández Santos. According to the government, he was “sent from the United States to procure the admission of armed persons, and has now confessed his acts.”
US weapons and response
The Cuban government added that it obtained details of the boat’s passengers from the suspects it detained after the shootout. The AP agency could not immediately verify this information.
AFP reports that assault rifles, handguns, incendiary bottles and other military equipment were found on board the ship.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously confirmed that Washington is trying to find out more details. “We’re not going to base our conclusions on what (Cuba) told us, and I’m very confident that we’ll get the full story of what happened here … Once we gather more information, we’ll be ready to respond appropriately,” Rubio said.
