Cuban forces killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-based speedboat after the vessel entered Cuban waters and opened fire on a Cuban patrol, the Cuban government says.
The wounded were evacuated and receiving medical attention. The Cuban patrol commander was also wounded, Cuba‘s Interior Ministry said in a statement, and the attack was under investigation to clarify exactly what happened.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he was ordering prosecutors to open a separate investigation in conjunction with other state and federal law enforcement partners, saying the Cuban account could not be trusted.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will investigate and “respond accordingly” to the deadly shooting. He mentioned that the status quo in Cuba was unsustainable and that the island needed to change “dramatically.”
The deadly attack comes at a time of heightened tensions with the United States.
The highly unusual incident took place amid tension between Cuba and the United States, which has blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island, increasing pressure on the Communist-run government.
American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on January 3, removing a key Cuban ally from power.
The speedboat came within one nautical mile of a channel on Falcones Cay, on the north coast of Cuba about 200 km (120 miles) east of Havana, when it was approached by five members of a Cuban border patrol unit, Cuba said.
The speedboat then opened fire, wounding the commander of the Cuban vessel, the statement said.
None of the dead or wounded aboard the encroaching vessel were identified, but Cuba said it was registered in Florida with the number FL7726SH.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
“Faced with the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the Cuban statement said.
