Cuban authorities said security forces killed four armed exiles and wounded six others after a Florida-registered speedboat entered Cuban waters and opened fire on a patrol unit, as reported by Reuters.
Cuba’s Interior Ministry said the group, described as anti-government exiles arriving from the United States, approached within one nautical mile of a channel near Falcones Cay on the island’s north coast, about 200 kilometers east of Havana. The individuals were dressed in camouflage and carried assault rifles, handguns, homemade explosives, and ballistic vests, according to officials.
The ministry said the speedboat opened fire when confronted by Cuban border patrol officers, wounding the patrol commander. Security forces returned fire, killing four attackers and injuring six others. The wounded were taken for medical treatment, and another suspect was detained on Cuban territory for allegedly assisting the infiltration.
Authorities identified one of the dead as Michel Ortega Casanova, while six detainees were named as Amijail Sanchez Gonzalez, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gomez, Conrado Galindo Sariol, Jose Manuel Rodriguez Castello, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra. Two were previously wanted on suspicion of planning terrorist acts, the statement said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the incident was not a U.S. operation and that no American government personnel were involved. He added that U.S. authorities would seek independent information to determine exactly what occurred.
The clash comes amid heightened tensions between Havana and Washington, with Florida officials calling for separate investigations into the incident.
