According to Cuba, four people on the boat were killed in an exchange of fire between Cuban border troops and the crew of a US-registered speedboat.
Feb 25, 2026, 9:07 p.mFeb 25, 2026, 10:49 p.m
Six other people were injured and received medical care, Cuba’s embassy in the USA said, citing the Interior Ministry.
Border troops discovered the boat in Cuban territorial waters on Wednesday morning (local time). The speedboat came within about a nautical mile off the northern coast of Cuba in Villa Clara province. When a unit of border troops drove up to identify the person, the crew of the speedboat opened fire. According to the information, the commander of the Cuban patrol boat was injured.
Note from the Ministry of the Interior:
On the morning of February 25, 2026, a violating speedboat was detected within Cuban territorial waters. The vessel, registered in Florida, United States, with registration number FL7726SH, approached up to 1 nautical mile northeast of the… pic.twitter.com/AEmwtAZ4lO
— Cuban Embassy in US (@EmbaCubaUS) February 25, 2026
Cuba’s government: Protecting its own territorial waters
“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 Cuban Presidency said on X.
Relations between the United States and Cuba have been strained since the 1959 revolution under Fidel Castro. Recently, Washington increased the pressure on Havana with, among other things, an oil blockade, which exacerbated the serious energy and economic crisis in the Caribbean state. (sda/dpa)