One of the men killed in a shooting off of Cuba’s coast on Wednesday has been identified as a Florida resident by his grieving family.
Four people were killed and six others were injured in the confrontation involving a vessel registered in Florida and Cuban Border Guard troops, according to the Cuban government.
Only one of the deceased has been identified so far: Michel Ortega Casanova.
Ortega Casanova was born in Cuba and lived in Lakeland, near Tampa, Florida. He reportedly immigrated to the United States in the 1980s.
The Tampa-based organization “Casa Cuba” described him on its social media profiles as a patriot and a member of the Cuban Republican Party.
His wife, who declined to speak on camera, confirmed Ortega Casanova’s death to Telemundo 51.
“This fight needs to end,” said Misael Ortega Casanova, the deceased’s brother. “Today it was my brother’s turn, and those who perished alongside him.”
List of passengers detained by Cuban authorities: