Cuban authorities reported a deadly clash with a speedboat carrying individuals believed to be from the United States, resulting in fatalities and the seizure of weapons. The incident occurred approximately one nautical mile off Cuba’s north shore, raising questions about the motivations of those involved and the potential for escalating tensions.
Clash off Cuba’s North Shore
According to Cuban officials, the coastguard vessel came under fire from the speedboat. Authorities stated that assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, and military-style gear were found onboard the vessel.
Havana indicated that all those aboard the boat were Cubans residing in the United States, a nation that has experienced significant emigration from the island since the 1960s. A U.S. official confirmed that some on the boat had criminal records and that one injured U.S. citizen is receiving medical care in Cuba.
One of those killed was identified as Michel Ortega Casanova, who, according to Wilfredo Beyra, head of the Cuban Republican Party in Tampa, Florida, frequently expressed a desire to liberate his homeland. “His goal was to go and fight against a criminal and murderous narco-tyrannical [government], to see if that would spark the people to rise up,” Beyra said.
Beyra added that he had cautioned Ortega Casanova against taking action at this time, but the man was determined to proceed “at any moment.” He also identified another man involved, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gomez, whom he met at a political event.
Cuban authorities stated that most of those on the speedboat had prior criminal records in Cuba. They also reported the arrest of another individual sent from the United States who allegedly confessed to involvement in the operation.
Fighting for the Homeland
Several groups in Florida, home to over one million Cubans, “openly declare that they are willing, through military training, to fight for the freedom of their homeland,” Beyra stated to AFP.
The incident comes amid increasing economic pressure on Cuba, with President Donald Trump having labeled the country an “extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security. Cuba recently lost a key diplomatic and economic partner when U.S. forces took control of Venezuelan oil exports in January, impacting the island’s fuel supply.
Following an outcry from Caribbean leaders, the United States announced Wednesday it would allow limited shipments of Venezuelan oil for commercial and humanitarian use, stipulating that the oil must go through private businesses and not the Cuban Government or its military apparatus.
The U.S. government’s response has been muted, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that Washington is conducting its own investigation and will “respond accordingly.” He insisted the U.S. Government had no involvement in the confrontation.
The Cuban Government routinely reports incursions by speedboats from the United States into its territorial waters, though deadly clashes are infrequent. These incidents are often linked to people-smuggling or drug trafficking, and have previously involved chases, shootouts, and attacks on border guards.
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