Cuban coast guard ships docked at the port of Havana on February 25, 2026. Cuba’s coast guard said on February 25, 2026, it shot dead four people and wounded six others traveling in a US-registered speedboat during an exchange of fire near Cuba’s shores that came amid heightened tensions with Washington. (Photo by Adalberto ROQUE / AFP via Getty Images)
ADALBERTO ROQUE
AFP via Getty Images
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Deadly shooting between Cuban Coast Guard and Florida boat
A boat that was registered in Florida allegedly engaged in a shootout with the Cuban Coast Guard. According to Cuban authorities, the boat was carrying 10 men and firearms.
Cuban officials identified Thursday the remaining three men who were killed in a shooting with a Cuban coast guard vessel and one who was detained after a group of 10 allegedly used a Florida-registered boat for a “terrorist infiltration” of the island.
Pavel Alling Peña, Ledián Padrón Guevara and Hector Duani Cruz Correa were killed Wednesday in the gunfire exchange, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba Carlos Fernández de Cossío said in a statement. Roberto Álvarez Ávila was detained.
The Cuban government initially reported that Roberto Azcorra Consuegra was part of the group, but he was not, the statement said. Azcorra, 31, told the Miami Herald he was at his home in South Florida and hadn’t been to Cuba since 2017 when he was granted political asylum in the United States.
The Interior Ministry previously identified one of the four men killed as Michel Ortega Casanova, and identified those detained as Amijail Sánchez González, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló and Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara.
READ MORE: Cuba labels intercepted Florida speedboat a ‘terrorist infiltration’ after deadly clash
The boat the Cuban government said arrived in its waters was reported stolen from the Florida Keys, according to a report from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Angel Montera reported his 24-foot Pro Line boat stolen around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday.
After the coast guard vessel intercepted the boat, Cuban authorities say they seized assault rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, Molotov cocktails, night vision equipment, bulletproof vests, assault bayonets, camouflage clothing, ammunition of various calibers, combat rations, communication equipment and insignias from counterrevolutionary terrorist organizations.
Two of the men on board, González and Gómez, were on a national list of people wanted by Cuban authorities for acts of terrorism, officials said.
An investigation is underway, and the Cuban government is willing to exchange information with the United States about the incident, officials said.
Veronica Egui Brito, Milena Malaver, David Goodhue and Michelle Marchante contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 26, 2026 at 6:07 PM.
