Cubans, cubans killed after Florida-tagged speedboat shootout
Cuba’s Interior Ministry says its border patrol engaged a speedboat from the United States in a shootout that left four people dead. The ministry described the vessel as bearing a licence plate from the state of Florida and said the incident began when the speedboat opened fire.
Cubans aboard boat identified
The Interior Ministry said that the crew of the speedboat "opened fire on the Cuban personnel, resulting in the injury of the commander of the Cuban vessel. " The ministry added: "As of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed, and six were injured. " In a follow-up statement, the ministry named one of the four deceased as Michel Ortega Casanova.
Where and when it happened
The shooting occurred on Wednesday morning offshore from the barrier island Cayo Falcones in Cuba’s north-central Villa Clara province. The Cuban government described the boat as having a licence plate from the state of Florida, a peninsula roughly 145 kilometres, or 90 miles, from the island.
Arrests and alleged mission
The Interior Ministry said six suspects were arrested on the boat and identified them as "Cuban residents of the United States. " The ministry said the group’s mission was to "carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes" on Cuban soil. Officials accused the 10 men of transporting guns, Molotov cocktails, bulletproof vests and camouflage as part of their efforts.
Additional arrest inside Cuba
A seventh arrest, the ministry added, was made within Cuba itself. That person was identified as Duniel Hernández Santos and described as "a citizen sent from the United States to facilitate the reception of the armed infiltration. "
Reactions and investigations
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman said on Thursday the incident was an "aggressive provocation by the United States" aimed "at escalating the situation and triggering a conflict. " The Interior Ministry said an investigation led by Cuban officials remains ongoing and framed the border patrol’s actions as part of its defence of Cuba’s national sovereignty.
The episode has fed political backlash in the United States, particularly within the right-wing Republican Party. Florida’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, announced his state would open a probe and wrote that he had directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution "to work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation. " He added: "The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable. "
Wednesday’s incident is not the first time Cuban authorities have engaged in a gunfight after allegedly intercepting US boats entering its territory. The Interior Ministry warned that the latest example could prove particularly contentious given heightened tensions over the last two months between the US and Cuba.
An investigation by Cuban officials is ongoing.
