MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — The Cuban embassy in the U.S. announced on X on Wednesday that four people were dead and six were injured during a shooting after Cuba’s border patrol intercepted a Florida-registered boat in Cuban waters.
The commander of the Cuban vessel was injured during the shooting after intercepting the speedboat with registration number FL7726SH, according to Cuban officials on X.
While northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones, the crew of the speedboat “opened fire” on five service members of the Cuban Border Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior, according to Cuban officials on X.
“The injured individuals were evacuated and received medical assistance,” the Cuban official wrote on X. “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.”
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s office also released a statement on X saying, “national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State in favor of safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region.”
U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio said the U.S. was working to “independently verify facts” about the incident at sea before briefing U.S. lawmakers and responding.
Related story: Rubio reacts to fatal shooting allegedly involving Florida-registered boat in Cuban waters
U.S. lawmakers call for investigation
In a post on X, U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez described the incident as an attack and an assassination.
“I am calling for an immediate investigation into this massacre,” Gimenez wrote in a statement. “United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents.”
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz released a statement saying she was “deeply concerned” about the incident and had asked the State Department for more information.
“This occurred in spite of ongoing Trump Administration negotiations with the Cuban regime” Wasserman Schultz wrote on X. “It goes without saying: we cannot trust the Cuban regime’s side of the story without scrutiny. We need an immediate investigation of this shooting and accountability for the Cuban regime’s repeated use of lethal force against Americans at sea.”
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott shared a statement on X saying he agreed with Gimenez’s reaction.
“We need a full investigation into this deeply concerning situation and to determine what happened.” Scott wrote. “The Communist Cuban regime must be held accountable!”
U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar released a statement on X saying that she was “closely monitoring” the situation.
“I am awaiting further details from U.S. authorities,” Salazar wrote on X.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced he had directed state prosecutors to work with federal and state law enforcement to investigate the incident.
“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” Uthmeier wrote on X.
Related story: Trump administration to allow resale of Venezuelan oil to Cuba’s private sector
Brothers to the Rescue
On Tuesday, mourners met in Miami-Dade County to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of four Brothers to the Rescue volunteers when the Cuban Air Force shotdown two Cessnas on Feb. 24, 1996.
Two survivors, José Basulto, a pilot and founder of Brothers to the Rescue, and Sylvia G. Iriondo, a volunteer, have been demanding that Raúl Castro be indicted for his role in the deaths of Carlos Alejandre, 45; Armando Costa, 29; Mario De la Peña, 24; and Pablo Morales, 29, in 1996.
Before the anniversary, Iriondo met with Gimenez, Salazar, Rep. Mario Diaz Balart, and U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody in Hialeah Gardens to ask President Donald Trump to push for a case against Castro, 94, at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Related story: Miami-Dade receives Cuba’s fatal shooting news with mistrust
Today’s initial reports
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