HAVANA: Cuban authorities have reported a deadly maritime confrontation after a US-registered speedboat allegedly entered the country’s territorial waters and opened fire on a Cuban patrol vessel.
According to a statement issued by the Cuban Interior Ministry, the incident occurred on the morning of February 25 near the El Pino Canal in Villa Clara province. The ministry said the speedboat, bearing registration number FL7726SH and registered in the US state of Florida, had approached within one nautical mile northeast of the canal inside Cuban territorial waters.
Cuban officials stated that a coast guard vessel operated by the interior ministry, carrying five servicemen, moved toward the speedboat to conduct identification procedures. However, authorities allege that the US-registered vessel opened fire on the Cuban patrol boat as it approached, wounding the commander of the Cuban vessel.
The confrontation quickly escalated into an exchange of gunfire. According to the ministry, four individuals aboard the US-registered boat were killed during the clash, while six others sustained injuries. Cuban authorities reported that the wounded were evacuated from the scene and provided with medical assistance.
The Cuban Interior Ministry described the vessel’s actions as an armed intrusion into national waters and said an investigation into the incident is underway. No immediate response from US authorities has been reported.
The deadly encounter has raised concerns about maritime security in the region, as tensions remain sensitive between Havana and Washington over longstanding political and diplomatic disputes.
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