The Cuban Coast Guard attacked a US-registered boat.Image: keystone
A violent incident occurred off the Cuban coast. The coast guard got into an exchange of fire with a boat from the USA, several people were killed. Much is unclear; the US government has so far pretended to be ignorant.
02/26/2026, 06:2902/26/2026, 06:48
That’s what happened
- Cuban border guards have stopped a U.S.-registered boat carrying terrorist suspects in a deadly shootout on the open sea, according to the Cuban government.
- Four of the ten people on the speedboat were killed and the others were injured. The commander of the Cuban patrol boat was also injured in the exchange of fire off the northern coast of the Caribbean state.
- The US government spoke of a “very unusual” incident and announced its own investigation.
- Relations between Cuba and the USA are historically strained. Tensions recently increased due to a US oil blockade and statements by Donald Trump.
That’s what Cuba says
According to the Interior Ministry in Havana, the ten-man crew of the speedboat had terrorist intentions and wanted to illegally enter Cuba. Weapons, explosive devices and camouflage uniforms were found on board the boat. No further details were provided about the group’s alleged motives. Investigations continue.
According to the information, a suspect was also arrested in Cuba. He confessed to having been “sent” from the USA to take part in the terrorist operation. “All those involved are Cubans living in the United States,” said the government of the socialist island nation. Most of them were previously known for criminal and violent activities.
According to information from Havana, border guards discovered the boat on Wednesday morning (local time) in Cuban territorial waters near Cayo Falcones. It had approached within about a nautical mile of the coastal province of Villa Clara. When a unit of border troops approached the boat to identify it, the crew opened fire, whereupon they fired back.
According to US news channel CNN the registration number of the boat FL7726SH provided by the Cuban authorities matches data from the US shipping database. The number is a 7.5 meter long motorboat registered in 1981.
That’s what the USA says
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the incident during a visit to the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Various parts of the US government are involved in collecting and verifying information, he told reporters. Until more information is known, he doesn’t want to speculate about what happened.
“Suffice to say, it is very unusual to see shootings like this on the open sea,” Rubio said. Something like this hasn’t happened with Cuba for a very long time. According to Rubio, US officials were not involved.
Marco Rubio initially appeared ignorant.Image: keystone
The US Embassy in Havana is still trying to find out whether the victims were US citizens or permanent residents in the US, the minister said. Currently, most of the information the US has comes from Cuban authorities. According to them, the boat was registered in the US state of Florida. You follow up on it.
Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier had previously announced a joint investigation with the help of federal authorities into the fatal incident. “The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” the Republican promised.
As expected, the Cuban leadership presented it differently. “Cuba reaffirms its will to protect territorial waters, with national defense being a fundamental pillar for the Cuban state to protect its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the presidential office said via Platform X.
The background
Tensions between the United States and communist Cuba have long existed. These recently flared up after the USA kidnapped Venezuela’s dictator Nicolas Maduro and prevented oil deliveries from his country to Cuba. The Caribbean state has not received any oil from Venezuela since December, as US President Donald Trump ordered a complete blockade of sanctioned oil tankers carrying deliveries from the South American sister state. He also threatened to impose tariffs on countries that supply Cuba with oil – whereupon Mexico, most recently the island’s largest oil supplier, stopped its deliveries.
Cuba is already suffering from a severe energy and economic crisis, and the country cannot sustain supplies in the long term without support. There have been repeated power outages lasting hours for a long time. Trump recently announced that the sale of Venezuelan oil to Cuba would be partially approved again. But this is only for humanitarian and limited commercial purposes.
In addition, Trump openly threatened Cuba at the beginning of the year. The US President would welcome a change of government in the socialist country. Critics of the US President believe that the US blockade is serving to promote this development. Trump said a few weeks ago, after the Venezuela coup, that military intervention in Cuba was not necessary. He assumes that a change of power in Cuba cannot be stopped anyway because of the economic situation.
(sda/dpa/con)