Cuba says Florida Boat carried armed Cuban nationals on ‘terrorist’ infiltration mission

Cuban authorities said Wednesday that the occupants of a Florida-registered speedboat involved in a deadly gunfight in the island’s territorial waters were armed Cuban nationals residing in the United States and were intent on carrying out “an infiltration with terrorist ends.” Four people were killed and six wounded in the confrontation, according to Havana.

The episode, which unfolded off the northern coast of central Cuba, has reignited tensions between Washington and Havana at a moment of acute economic strain on the island and renewed scrutiny of maritime traffic between Florida and Cuba.

The ministry said “preliminary declarations” by detained men indicated they were planning “an infiltration with terrorist ends.” Officials reported that the group carried firearms, Molotov cocktails, bulletproof jackets and camouflage clothing. No further details about alleged terrorist links were provided.

“As a result of the confrontation, at the time of this report, four foreign attackers were killed and six were wounded,” the government said. The injured were evacuated for medical treatment, Cuban state media reported.

Authorities also said one man had admitted flying into Cuba to rendezvous with the boat. Most of those aboard, officials claimed, had criminal or violent records. The government has begun releasing the names of some of the dead and injured.

“As we gather more information, we’ll be prepared to respond accordingly,” he said.

Asked whether US government personnel or an American operation had been involved, Rubio responded, “No.”

Later, addressing broader US-Cuba relations, Rubio suggested Washington was not anticipating an immediate collapse of Cuba’s communist government.

“Cuba’s status quo is unacceptable. Cuba needs to change. It needs to change, and it doesn’t have to change all at once,” he said. “Everyone is mature and realistic.”

He added: “That’s a system that’s in collapse, and they need to make dramatic reforms,” urging the government to “open the space for both economic, and eventually political, freedom for the people of Cuba.”

Representative Carlos Gimenez of Florida called for an immediate inquiry into what he described as a “massacre.” Florida’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, said he had directed the state’s Office of Statewide Prosecution to investigate, stating: “The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable.”

In one case near Cayo Fragoso, Cuban officials said a person aboard a US-based vessel fired an automatic rifle at close range during a pursuit, wounding an officer. The US Coast Guard later intercepted the craft. In a separate incident north of Bahía Honda in Artemisa province, Cuban border guards said traffickers opened fire as authorities approached, and one accused smuggler was killed.

“Once again, regrettable events occur as a consequence of the hostile and irresponsible migration policy of the United States government toward Cuba, which encourages human trafficking operations organized by unscrupulous individuals residing in that country,” the Cuban Ministry of Interior said at the time.

President Donald Trump recently extended a Clinton-era emergency order permitting US authorities to intercept American vessels bound for Cuba. Citing concerns that the Cuban government has “a ready and reckless willingness to use excessive force, including deadly force,” the February order authorises American officials to stop, board and detain boats heading to the island.

The directive argues that unauthorised entry of US-registered vessels into Cuban waters could “facilitate a mass migration from Cuba,” thereby harming American foreign policy interests.

The fatal exchange also occurred one day after the 30th anniversary of Cuba’s shooting down of two planes belonging to Brothers to the Rescue, a Florida-based humanitarian group. Jose Basulto, who survived that 1996 incident, said: “Those people are acting in that fashion, going there to Cuba to pick up people, are risking their lives.”

For now, both governments appear cautious. Washington has indicated it is reviewing the facts before responding, while Havana has characterised the confrontation as a defensive action against armed infiltrators.

The incident underscores the volatility of maritime routes between Florida and Cuba, where migration, politics and security concerns continue to collide in fraught waters.