Cuban Government Says Four Killed After Florida-Registered Speedboat Confrontation
The cuban government and embassy issued a night statement saying four passengers of a Florida-registered speedboat were killed after Cuban border guards opened fire when the vessel entered Cuban waters. The embassy said Wednesday night the four dead were born in Cuba but lived in the United States.
Cuban Government Statement
The Interior Ministry said law enforcement opened fire after the boat entered Cuban waters in what it called an "armed infiltration" attempt. The ministry said the vessel was carrying a total of 10 "armed" people who Cuban officials claim "intended to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes. " The Interior Ministry alleged assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails and other weapons were found onboard the speedboat.
Casualties and Survivors Named
Four of the passengers were gunned down by Cuban border troopers in a shootout. The embassy identified one of the deceased as Michel Ortega Casanova and said the four killed were born in the communist island nation but lived in the US. The six injured survivors were identified by the embassy as Amijail Sánchez González, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra.
Arrest and Confession
An eleventh Cuban national, Duniel Hernández Santos, was also arrested "within national territory, " although it is unclear in the provided context whether he was on the boat with the other purported infiltrators. The embassy said Santos was allegedly "sent from the United States" to receive armed seafarers on Cuba's shore and that he "confessed to his role" in the operation.
Wanted Listings and Allegations
The embassy said González and Gómez were both listed on Cuba's national wanted list for their suspected participation "in the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or execution of terrorist acts in Cuba or abroad. " Officials characterized the incident as a planned operation involving armed personnel and weapons found on board.
Location and Vessel Details
An official said the people on the incoming vessel were working to get relatives out of Cuba and described the craft as a 24-foot power boat manufactured in 1981. The shootout took place just one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, which is directly south of Florida and off the north side of Cuba. The area is regularly patrolled by the Cuban government, and the cuban government said the confrontation occurred in those waters.
U. S. Response and Comments
When asked for comment about the citizenship of those aboard the speedboat, the State Department referred to earlier comments made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio vowed the US would "find out exactly what happened" and "respond accordingly. " He downplayed Cuba's initial version of the attack, saying the US would find its "own information on this. " "We're not gonna base our conclusions on what they told us, " he said, adding that "it is highly unusual to see shootouts in the open sea like that. That's not something that happens every day. "
Officials in Havana maintain the deaths and arrests followed a maritime operation they describe as an armed infiltration attempt; embassy and Interior Ministry statements provided the names, weapons allegations, vessel description, the arrest of Duniel Hernández Santos, and the claim that some participants were on national wanted lists.
Closing: The embassy issued its identification of the dead and injured Wednesday night, and authorities in both countries continue to be referenced in statements while details about the full sequence of events and the role of those arrested remain as presented by Cuban officials.
