Rubio Responds to Cuban Military Firing on US Vessel, Killing 4, Injuring 6 (VIDEO)
On Wednesday, Cuban border forces fired on a U.S.-registered speedboat that had entered Cuban territorial waters, killing four passengers and injuring six others, according to Cuban authorities.
Cuba’s government said the Florida-registered vessel opened fire first, wounding a Cuban officer when border troops approached to identify the boat near the El Pino channel in Villa Clara province. Cuban forces returned fire, resulting in casualties among those aboard the vessel. The injured were evacuated and treated, officials said.
Authorities initially said it was unclear whether any Americans were on board. Later Wednesday, Cuban officials stated that all 10 passengers were Cuban nationals living in the United States.
In a statement released through the Cuban Embassy in the United States, Cuba said the vessel had penetrated its territorial waters northeast of Cayo Falcones and reiterated that defending national sovereignty remains a core principle of the Cuban state.
The The New York Times reported that the boat was part of a civilian flotilla attempting to remove relatives from Cuba. A U.S. official told the newspaper the vessel was not affiliated with the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard.
Citing Cuban authorities, the Associated Press later reported that the armed passengers were Cuban expatriates allegedly attempting to infiltrate the island to carry out attacks.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from St. Kitts and Nevis, said he was skeptical of Cuba’s account of the incident.
“We’re going to find out exactly what happened here and then we’ll respond accordingly,” Rubio said.
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