PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Four people are dead and six others injured after a confrontation between a Florida-registered speedboat and Cuban border authorities in Cuban territorial waters, according to a statement posted Tuesday by the Cuban Embassy to the United States on X.
The embassy said that on Wednesday morning, Cuban authorities detected a “violating speedboat” within Cuban territorial waters near the El Pino channel in Cayo Falcones, in the municipality of Corralillo, Villa Clara province.
The vessel, identified as registered in Florida with registration number FL7726SH, allegedly approached to within one nautical mile northeast of the channel.
According to the statement, when a surface unit of Cuba’s Border Guard Troops with five service members approached the boat for identification, “the crew of the violating speedboat opened fire on the Cuban personnel,” injuring the commander of the Cuban vessel.
Cuban officials said that during the confrontation, four people described as “aggressors” aboard the foreign vessel were killed and six others were injured. The injured were evacuated and received medical treatment, the embassy said.
In its statement, Cuba reaffirmed what it called its determination to protect its territorial waters and sovereignty, describing national defense as a fundamental pillar of the Cuban state. Authorities said investigations are ongoing to fully clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a statement on X, calling for an investigation.
“I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation,” Uthmeier said. “The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable.”
U.S. officials have not yet publicly commented on the reported incident.
Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez, R-28, issued a statement calling for an investigation into the “massacre.”
“I am calling for an immediate investigation into this massacre. United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred. The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity,” said Congressman Gimenez.
It’s not unusual for skirmishes to erupt between Cuba’s Coast Guard and U.S.-flagged speedboats in Cuban waters, but there have been no recent reports of passengers opening fire or being killed.
In past years, some of those U.S.-flagged boats were laden with unidentified items headed toward the island or they were going to pick up Cubans and smuggle them into the U.S.
Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Pentagon declined comment and directed questions to the U.S. Department of State, which did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
The incident comes as tensions simmer between the U.S. and Cuba in the wake of mounting pressure by the Trump administration. The two countries used to collaborate on drug smuggling and other crimes but have since stopped doing so.
Material from the Associate Press was included in this report.