Four Killed on US-Registered Speedboat Were Cuban Nationals, Cuba Says

Published: 25 February 2026 . The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Cuban authorities say four people shot dead after a confrontation at sea aboard a Florida-registered speedboat were Cuban nationals living in the United States, adding to a highly sensitive incident that has drawn international attention and raised tensions between Havana and Washington. The Cuban Interior Ministry reported that the speedboat — detected in Cuban territorial waters near Cayo Falcones off the north-central Villa Clara province — was intercepted by border patrols on Wednesday morning.

According to the official statement, Cuban forces approached the vessel for identification after it entered national waters. The ministry says those on board were armed and opened fire on Cuban border guards, injuring the commander of the patrol boat, before Cuban forces returned fire. In the ensuing exchange, four people aboard the speedboat were killed and six others were wounded and received medical treatment. A Cuban border officer was also reported injured.

Cuba claims that the ten passengers on the boat — all described as Cuban residents of the United States — had told interrogators they intended to carry out an armed infiltration for terrorist purposes. The ministry said items recovered from the boat included assault rifles, handguns, bulletproof vests, Molotov cocktails and camouflage gear, and that several of the detained survivors are wanted by Cuban authorities on terrorism-related charges. Cuban officials also said an 11th person, arrested separately within Cuba, had confessed to aiding the mission.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have stressed that the United States government was not involved in the incident and will conduct an independent review of what occurred. Rubio said Washington will work to establish facts such as whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents but declined to speculate on the broader circumstances surrounding the confrontation. Florida authorities have also called for investigations.

The incident comes at a time of already strained U.S.-Cuba relations, with recent policy disagreements and sanctions contributing to diplomatic friction. Cuba has framed the shootout as a defence of its sovereignty and territorial waters, while the U.S. has reiterated its intention to verify details independently and avoid escalation.