Cuba Allegedly Opens Fire on U.S.-Registered Boat in Fatal Maritime Incident
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., have called for an investigation after Cuban authorities allegedly opened fire on a U.S.-registered boat near the island on Wednesday, killing four people.
Rubio, who was born in Miami to Cuban immigrants, described the incident as highly unusual, noting: “It is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. It’s not something that happens every day. It’s something, frankly, that hasn’t happened with Cuba in a very long time.”
Cuba’s Interior Ministry stated that the boat entered waters within 1 nautical mile northeast of a central Cuban coastal town and fired upon border officers when security personnel attempted to identify passengers. The ministry claimed the vessel was carrying 10 armed Cubans who live in the United States and were attempting an “infiltration” of the island for “terrorist purposes,” according to state media. Cuban officials said the wounded individuals have been evacuated for medical treatment and defended the country’s actions, adding: “In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters.”
Gimenez, a vocal critic of the Cuban government, condemned the incident as a massacre. He urged U.S. authorities to determine if any victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and to establish the facts surrounding the event: “The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity.”
The incident risks further straining already tense relations between Washington and Havana, whose diplomatic ties have been marked by sanctions, diplomatic disputes, and political hostility since 1959. The island nation lies approximately 90 miles south of Florida, and maritime incidents have historically heightened tensions over migration, security, and alleged subversive activity. U.S. officials have not yet released details about the identities of those killed or confirmed Cuba’s account of the confrontation.
