The Cuban military has opened fire on an American civilian speedboat, killing four people and injuring six, according to a statement from the Cuban Interior Ministry (MININT). The incident occurred on February 25 near the El Pino Channel in Cayo Falcones, Villa Clara province, when a boat with Florida registration was detected within one nautical mile of Cuban territory.
The MININT statement said that a confrontation began when the 'violating' vessel fired at Cuban border guards, wounding the commander of a Cuban patrol unit. In response, the Cuban forces returned fire. The statement confirmed that four 'aggressors' were killed and six others injured, who were evacuated and received medical assistance.
A US official, speaking to the New York Times, said the boat was a civilian vessel part of a flotilla seeking to retrieve relatives from Cuba, and was not a US Navy or Coast Guard vessel. The incident has prompted calls for an investigation from US Representative Carlos Gimenez of Florida, who described the event as a 'massacre' and called for the regime to be 'relegated to the dustbin of history'.
The attack comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Cuba. The Trump administration had recently softened a virtual oil siege on the island, allowing shipments of Venezuelan oil for commercial and humanitarian use, following concerns from Caribbean leaders about economic collapse. Cuba has relied on Venezuela for about half its fuel needs.
The Cuban Interior Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, stating that investigations are continuing to fully clarify the facts. The incident has sparked fears of potential US military action, with some social media users speculating about an invasion.
