Cuba has vowed to defend itself against any “terrorist and mercenary aggression” after border guards reported killing four exiles aboard a Florida-registered speedboat that allegedly opened fire on a patrol.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on X that the country would respond “with determination and firmness,” noting that six other people on the vessel were wounded.
The incident risks further straining already tense relations between Washington and Havana, particularly after the Trump administration imposed an oil blockade on the island and U.S. forces detained Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, a key Cuban ally.
Despite the tensions, diplomatic contacts between the two countries are believed to be ongoing, and both sides have signaled interest in avoiding escalation. Díaz-Canel emphasized that “Cuba does not attack nor threaten.”
U.S. officials also met Raúl Castro’s grandson on the sidelines of the Caricom summit in St. Kitts and Nevis, according to the Miami Herald. Although he holds no formal government post, he is considered close to the influential former Cuban leader.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was not involved in the maritime incident and that authorities were still gathering facts.
According to Cuba’s interior ministry, the confrontation occurred among small islands east of the Varadero resort. The vessel — a small center-console boat believed to have come from the Florida Keys — was allegedly carrying weapons.
One of the dead, Michel Ortega Casanova, had reportedly expressed a desire to “liberate the island,” according to an associate.
Cuban officials said the group opened fire when intercepted, wounding a commander and a border guard. Another alleged participant who had flown to Cuba to meet the boat has been detained and reportedly confessed.
Experts noted the 24-foot Pro-Line boat would have been an unlikely choice for a 90-mile sea journey with 10 people aboard due to limited space and engine power.
Authorities say the surviving suspects — Cuban residents in the United States — now face accusations of attempting a terrorist infiltration. Officials also claim the group had prior criminal records in Cuba and possessed rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, and other military-style equipment.
A U.S. official said at least two individuals were American citizens, while another held a K-1 visa. Several wounded suspects are reportedly being treated under heavy guard at a hospital in Santa Clara.
The incident has stirred strong reactions within Miami’s exile community. Some fear the freelance operation could undermine broader U.S. pressure on Havana.
Historian Michael Bustamante noted the symbolism of the event, recalling that the Cuban Revolution itself began with a maritime landing — the 1956 voyage of the yacht Granma carrying Fidel and Raúl Castro and Che Guevara from Mexico.