Four Dead After Cuban Coast Guard Opens Fire On Florida-Registered Speedboat

Cuban authorities on Wednesday reported a confrontation between Border Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior and a speedboat registered in Florida, which left at least four people dead and others wounded.

The incident took place in Cuban territorial waters off the northern coast, resulting in four fatalities and six injuries among individuals on the speedboat, as well as one injury to a Cuban border guard commander.

“On the morning of February 25, 2026, a violating speedboat was detected within Cuban territorial waters. The vessel, registered in Florida, United States, with registration number FL7726SH, approached up to 1 nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones, Corralillo municipality, Villa Clara province,” reads a statement from Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior, released through official channels including the Cuban Embassy in the United States.

“When a surface unit of the Border Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior, carrying five service members, approached the vessel for identification, the crew of the violating speedboat opened fire on the Cuban personnel, resulting in the injury of the commander of the Cuban vessel,” the statement continued.

As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured. The injured individuals were evacuated and received medical assistance.

In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region.

Investigations by the competent authorities continue in order to fully clarify the events.”

The speedboat carried registration number FL7726SH, confirming its Florida documentation. The location near Cayo Falcones placed the encounter along Cuba’s central northern coastline in Villa Clara province.

Cuban officials described the vessel’s presence as unauthorized, leading to the interception for identification purposes.

The Ministry’s account indicated that the speedboat’s crew initiated gunfire during the approach, prompting a response from the border guards. The injured Cuban commander and the six survivors from the speedboat received medical treatment, though no further details on their conditions were provided in the statement.

No immediate public response was issued by U.S. authorities, including the Department of State or the White House, based on reports from multiple outlets that sought comment as of this report.

Some Florida-based U.S. lawmakers addressed the reports. U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez called for an urgent investigation, stating that U.S. authorities “must determine whether any of the victims were US citizens or legal residents.”

He further described the event as a “massacre” and added that the Cuban government “must be relegated to the dust bin of history.”

Rep. María Elvira Salazar noted she was “closely monitoring reports” of the incident, referring to it as an “unfolding situation.”

The purpose of the speedboat’s voyage, the identities or nationalities of those aboard, and any additional context remain undisclosed by Cuban sources at this time.