The Interior Ministry in Havana says the American boat violated Cuban territorial waters. It came within one nautical mile of the coast of Villa Clara.
Cuba reaffirmed its “determination to protect its territorial waters” and said 10 boat passengers intended to go to Cuba “for terrorist purposes”. According to the Cubans, on board a boat registered in the state of Florida under the number FL7726SH, “assault rifles, handguns, home-made explosives (Molotov cocktails), bulletproof vests, rifle scopes and camouflage uniforms” were found and confiscated.
Relations between the US and Cuba are so tense because Donald Trump has imposed a de facto naval blockade on the communist island. The reaction of the American president will now be key.
Due to the deepening energy crisis on the island, more hotels are closing. The Americans blocked the export of Venezuelan oil to Cuba, which led to fuel shortages and, consequently, increasing food shortages. If Donald Trump now speaks about the incident in a confrontational manner, it may indicate a desire to further intensify the conflict.
Due to the deteriorating situation on the island, relations between Cuba and the USA are becoming more and more tense. According to the Cuban Interior Ministry, the latest incident with an American boat was an “infiltration” attempt and the boat's passengers were exclusively Cubans living in the US.
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According to Cuban reports, five Cuban border guard officers went out by ship to identify the American boat whose crew allegedly opened fire. As a result of this incident, the commander of the Cuban ship was shot. The border guards apparently returned fire. According to the Cuban ministry, four “attackers” died as a result of the “confrontation”.
“Let's hope it's not as serious as we fear.”
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier declared: “The Cuban government cannot be trusted and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable.” He ordered the prosecutor's office to initiate an investigation.
US Vice President JD Vance spoke about the incident, saying he was informed about it by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He added that the White House was monitoring the situation, but declined to provide further details. “Let's hope it's not as serious as we fear,” Vance said.
US Vice President JD VanceAlex Wong / Staff / Getty Images
Secretary of State Rubio stated that he had been informed of the incident involving Cuban officials and that the United States was currently gathering its own information to determine whether the victims were American citizens. “Various departments of the U.S. government are currently trying to determine details of this incident that may not be known to us at this time,” Rubio said.
The US Secretary of State refused to speculate on the course of events and explained that it could be about “many different things.” He added that the United States would not rely solely on the version of events presented by the Cuban authorities. “Suffice it to say that open sea shootings of this nature are extremely rare. It's not something that happens every day,” he said.
American politician talks about “massacre”
Cuban-born American politician Carlos A. Giminez published a sharp message. “The dictatorship in Cuba attacked a boat from Florida and murdered the people on board,” wrote a Republican on X. “This regime must be consigned to the trash bin of history.” He called the incident a “massacre.”
An anonymous U.S. official told The New York Times that a civilian U.S. boat was involved in the incident. She was allegedly part of a fleet that was supposed to take relatives out of Cuba. Incidents involving US speedboats in Cuban waters are not unusual. However, the exchange of fire that resulted in the deaths of people did. Boats from the U.S. often try to smuggle goods to Cuba and people back.
The US Treasury Department announced the easing of restrictions imposed by Donald Trump on Cuba. Perhaps this will help reduce tensions between countries. According to the US Treasury Department, licenses will be issued to sell Venezuelan oil to Cuba. The condition is that the transactions benefit the Cuban people, including the private sector. The sale of oil used by the military or state institutions will remain prohibited.
Oil supplies from Venezuela were interrupted in January after the United States arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and took control of Venezuelan oil exports. This resulted in a drastic deepening of the energy crisis in Cuba, which was dependent on imports of relatively cheap oil from Venezuela.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
