Cuban border patrol forces shot and killed four people aboard a Florida-registered speedboat Wednesday after the vessel entered Cuban territorial waters carrying 10 heavily armed Cuban nationals who lived in the United States, according to Cuba’s interior ministry.
The incident occurred near Falcones Cay in Villa Clara province, roughly 100 miles from the Florida coast. Cuban authorities said the group was armed with assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, bulletproof vests, telescopic sights and camouflage uniforms, and had planned to carry out a terrorist attack on the island, according to Havana — a claim that U.S. officials have not independently verified. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. government has no information beyond what Cuban authorities have released, and that multiple federal agencies are actively investigating.
According to Cuba’s interior ministry, a passenger on the speedboat opened fire on a Cuban border patrol vessel, wounding its commander, before Cuban forces returned fire. Four people were killed and six others were wounded and taken into custody. A seventh individual, Cuban national Duniel Hernandez Santos, was separately arrested on the island and accused of being sent from the U.S. to help facilitate the operation, according to the ministry.
Who was on the boat
The only victim identified by name so far is Michel Ortega Casanova, an American citizen and truck driver who had lived in the United States for more than 20 years. His brother, Misael Ortega Casanova, told The Associated Press that Michel had become consumed by a mission to topple Cuba’s communist government. “They became so obsessed that they didn’t think about the consequences nor their own lives,” Misael said. Michel was married, and his daughter is currently pregnant, according to his brother.
The six wounded passengers in Cuban custody have been identified by Cuban authorities as Amijail Sanchez Gonzalez, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gomez, Conrado Galindo Sariol, Jose Manuel Rodriguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra. Their identities have not been confirmed by the United States.
SEE ALSO: Cuba: Soldiers kill 4 on Florida boat who tried to infiltrate island, commit acts of terrorism
U.S. and Florida officials respond
Mr. Rubio confirmed the vessel was not carrying U.S. government personnel and was not part of any American government operation. Mr. Rubio said the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard and other agencies are investigating. “We’re gonna find out exactly what happened here, and we’ll respond accordingly,” he said. Vice President J.D. Vance said the White House is also monitoring the situation.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to assist with the investigation. Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida called the incident “deeply concerning” and said the Cuban government “must be held accountable.” Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez, a Republican whose district covers the southern tip of Florida, also called for an investigation, citing concerns about the use of lethal force against people on a U.S.-registered vessel.
Cuba’s president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, said on X that his government would defend itself against what he called terrorist aggression against the island’s sovereignty.
Escalating U.S.-Cuba tensions
The shooting comes amid sharply escalating tensions between Washington and Havana. Following the U.S.-backed ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro — a key Cuban ally — the Trump administration has imposed new sanctions and blocked oil deliveries to Cuba. The United Nations has warned of a potential humanitarian collapse on the island. On the same day as the shooting, the U.S. said it would grant licenses to private Cuban entities to resell Venezuelan oil, representing a modest easing of the embargo.
The incident took place one day after the 30th anniversary of Cuba’s military downing two planes belonging to the Cuban-American humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue, killing four people. Earlier this month, President Trump extended a Clinton-era emergency measure enacted after that 1996 incident, which authorizes U.S. authorities to board vessels believed to be heading toward Cuba.
Russia weighed in on the shooting as well, with a foreign ministry spokeswoman calling it an “aggressive provocation by the United States” aimed at stirring conflict, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
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